Same Song, Different Story
by cwluvr
Summary: Following Donna's death, Opie sister shows up. Can Jax handle the arrival of his ex?
1. Chapter 1

She was late. Well, punctuality had never been her strong suit. She was in a pair of dark tight fitting jeans, a loose white v-neck t-shirt, calf length black leather boots featuring an assortment of decorative buckles, and a cropped black leather jacket. Her hair was longer than when she had left four year ago, the brunette waves falling down to her waist. She made her way up the familiar driveway-trying to calm her breathing as she searched for his bike. She told herself she wouldn't do this. That she would handle the situation like an adult. Well, that was before she pulled into Charming.

She noticed that there were a couple of guys on the front porch. Some she didn't recognize but she knew those cuts anywhere and her heartbeat quickened. Parking her black '66 Mustang she came out of the car with a sigh, shutting the door with a little bit more force than necessary. She ignored the curious looks she got and debated whether to remove her sunglasses or not-but the aviators were a security blanket.

Half-Sack and Juice spotted the petite woman and watched her move around the car to the passenger side.

"Who is that," Juice asked to no one in particular, getting ready to make his way towards her when he saw her lean over in the backseat. Damn. She came up the steps with and cocked her hip, crossing her arms over her chest-her nice sizeable chest-before popping chewing gum.

"Where's Opie?"

"Inside," Half-Sack offered with a mesmerized look on his face. Juice shot him a glare that said what the fuck but the girl just stepped between them and brushed past, taking a deep breath before walking into the house.

Everything looked exactly the same. Not that she expected it to change much. Clay was sitting in a recliner with a beer and she assumed Gemma was in the kitchen. She silently thanked God for that, it had been a long drive and she was starving. It was Tig who spotted her first, looking her up and down, she cracked a smile before pulling off her sunglasses.

"I don't believe it," he hollered before racing towards her and picking her up with one arm, swinging her around, "Baby girl what the fuck are you doing here?"

Tig. Sometimes he could be a complete idiot. What the hell did he think she was doing here? Her sister-in-law had just died for God's sake. Where else would she be? She had asked herself that same question ever since her father had called her. The first time she'd heard from him in four years. And it had been bad news-she should've known. She hadn't recognized the number at first but when she heard his voice she had taking a shaking seat thinking that he was calling to tell her something had happened to Opie. And it had. This was maybe worse than what she thought it could've been.

"I came to see my brother."

By then Clay had risen, giving her one of those rare charming smiles. He pushed Tig out of the way before embracing her in her own hug, "Kat it's sure as hell good to see you."

"Thanks Clay. Look I'd love to play catch-up with you boys but right now I need to see my brother."

"He's in the kitchen with Gemma."

Tired from the drive she failed to notice the look Tig and Clay shared, like they were hiding something. She gave them both a quick peck on the cheek before moving through the familiar hallway, following her nose to comfort for her disruptive stomach. But as she rounded the corner she halted dead in her tracks. Sure Opie was in the kitchen with Gemma but so was he. So was Jax.


	2. Chapter 2

Gemma pulled Kat into a fierce hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "How you been baby girl?"

"Well, I've definitely been better," she joked, "Ever since Dad called, I've been a mess. Left Denver at midnight and jumped in my car."

Gemma stepped away and from behind her surrogate daughter eyed her son Jax. He looked as if he was having trouble breathing. She secretly cursed Piney, a heads up would've been nice. For everyone. Kat had left with bad blood and she hated that it was over this debacle with Opie and Donna. She had hoped years ago Kat would come back on her own volition, that she would deal with what had drove her away. But as time went by she begin to think maybe it was for the best. The entire club had stressed over what had been Kat and Jax.

Kat stepped towards her brother. He looked pale. And tired. And distant. Call her selfish but he hadn't seen her in four years and he didn't even smile at her. She pulled him into a tight hug, felt him lean his head on her shoulder. For as long as she could remember he was the one she leaned on and so she had to do this for him. Be there when he needed her. But so much had changed. They were two different people now.

"Hey Ope."

"Hey Kitty Kat."

She felt a chuckle leave her body at the use of his own name for her. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be called that. Eric called her Kate. Sometimes she got lost in the aliases. Right now she didn't know who she was-Kate, Kat, Baby Girl, Kitty Kat, or much to her dismay Kitten-which was what Jax used to call her. It was forever memorialized on her body.

"Dad called me. I came as soon as I could."

"You drove all the way from Denver alone?"

"Well duh. You're my brother. Family."

At that sound she heard a snort. She bit the inside of her cheek, her fists latching on to her older brother's cut as she tried to ignore Jax. There had been tension ever since she walked in the door and into the kitchen but she had hoped that he wouldn't do this now, not here. His best friend's wife had just been murdered for fuck's sake. Could he wait a day to lay into her? Her brother titled his finger underneath her chin bringing her face up to observe. He saw that she was frowning, that this was something that needed to be done.

"I'm going to go find dad and find out why he didn't tell me he was calling you."

"No. You don't have to-. I mean, I'm here for you."

"I know Kitty Kat," he told her before giving her one more hug and kissing her on the forehead.

Jax watched his best friend and his mother leave him alone in the kitchen with his ex. He hadn't been prepared for this. He had resigned himself into believing that she was never coming back. And she had to show up now. Now. When he was with Tara. And she had the nerve to show up here and make claims about being there for family when she had been gone for four years. Who the fuck did she think she was?

"I didn't come here to fight with you Jax," she sighed.

"Well then you shouldn't have come," he spat out.

"I came for Opie. He's my brother and he needs me."

"Are you seriously going to say that to me?"

She paused. She wasn't exactly sure what to say. She realized she hadn't thought this through. She realized that a bigger part of her than she cared to admit had hoped that they would not have had to have this conversation. That they could just leave these where they were and at best be cordial to each other. But the bad terms they had left on had only been increased by time. And she was trying to control her temper.

"This isn't about you. This isn't about me. And it isn't about us. This is about helping Opie get through this loss."

"And how the hell are you going to help him out with that huh? You aren't the best at dealing with loss."

He saw the slap before it happened. He knew as the words begin to tumble out of his mouth that he shouldn't have said it. But he was angry and impulsive and when those two things happened he usually set out to hurt people. And this time his target was Kat but he knew she could handle it-even if that was an extremely low blow.

"Fuck you Jax," she spat out before turning on her heel but he grabbed her arm. He knew she would fight against him so he grabbed both and pushed her into the corner.

"Look I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"You're right. Now let me the fuck go."

"Did you think we wouldn't fight if you came here? You left in the middle of the night. You wrote me a two sentence goodbye letter on a Post-It note. I haven't seen or heard from you in four years. And you think I wasn't going to be pissed when you walked in claiming you needed to be here for family. I was your fucking family Kat! Me and Leah were your fucking family!"

"Leah's dead," she yelled before shoving past him and out of the kitchen. She took deep stabilizing breaths, slyly wiping at the tears prickling her eyes before going to find her brother once again. Gemma had told her when she was a teenager that she was strong, maybe too strong. And she had never knew what she meant until that one day. She still had nightmares about it.

Gemma watched her briskly walk out back to where Opie was. She looked around and sighed. Everyone had heard the yelling. Everyone had expected. Whenever those two got together they were explosive. It had always been like that, ever since they were kids. And when they had gotten together it had even become more so. There had been so many questions left unanswered with Kat's departure. And she understood. She had lost a child once. She knew what the could do to a person. And Kat had been young. Way too young. And so had Jax, to have something for a little while and then to have it ripped away from you all at once. She remembered her granddaughter. She had been the cutest baby, with Jax's looks-blue eyes and blonde hair except wavy like her mother's-and she had Kat's temperament. She hadn't made it to her second birthday. The two had put her to bed one night and the next morning when Kat had gone to check on her, she wasn't breathing.

"Jax…"

"Don't start ma," he sighed, bracing himself on the counter, "was she crying?"

"No."

"Fucking stubborn woman."

"What'd you say to her?"

"That she shouldn't be here. That she didn't know what family was. That she couldn't help Opie because she didn't know how to handle loss."

"Shit Jax. You couldn't wait a day, until you were behind closed doors?"

"She was my kid too," he suddenly yelled, wiping his hand across the counter knocking off whatever was there.

Gemma went to her son and held him because sometimes even thirty year old bikers needed their mothers.


	3. Chapter 3

"So how'd it go yesterday?"

"Good. Given the circumstances," Kat said with a shrug.

She was sitting in the diner in a pair of black skinny jeans and a white racer back tank with a fitted blue plaid flannel over it, sleeves rolled to the elbows, and her boots from yesterday. Her hair was pulled into a side ponytail and she picked uninterestedly at her Charming burger as he fiancé tried to engage in conversation. He was wearing a black button down, jeans, and sneakers. He was tall, wore his dark hair cropped short, and looked legit. And he was. A high school math teacher who had popped the question a month ago in their Denver apartment. But the guilt was eating her up.

She hadn't told him about her family. About the MC. About Leah. About Jax. About what the tattoo on her back meant. And she had a feeling the more she stuck around, the closer she was to the truth coming out. God, that sounded awful as if she was deliberately hiding something. But there wasn't any reason for Eric to know. It wasn't necessary for her to divulge every single relationship she had. He was such a good man. When her dad had called with the news he had picked both their bags and called in to their respective bosses to let them know about the situation. He had even let her visit her family by herself. But that had been two days ago and now he felt like it was time to meet them. He was going to be marrying her after all. And she couldn't deny them. But now she wished something she never had. That she had actually had an apple pie life. Parents who walked the straight and narrow, with 2.5 kids and a picket fence out in the suburbs. That's what his parents were like. Michael and Roxanne hadn't done time, didn't have any outlaw connections. For the first time in her life, she was ashamed of her background.

"And so I saw these pink elephants going down Main Street. What do you think about that babe?"

"Sounds good."

"Kate. You're not listening to me."

She looked up and sighed.

"Sorry. Thinking about my brother."

She heard the rumble of motorcycles and thought _Great. Just what I fucking need right now_. She had hoped they would past the diner but it was getting to be about lunch time and this was Charming after all. She winced inwardly.

"Look, I know it's hard but I'm here for you. You know I love you."

"Yeah I know."

She was hoping they wouldn't notice but just her luck Tig walked in the door and spotted her instantly. She wasn't surprised he could always spot a nice piece of ass. He bellowed, "Baby Girl haven't seen you around for a couple of days."

"Yeah, I've been busy," she said nonchalantly as Tig approached the table.

"Been avoiding Jax huh?"

Behind Tig were Happy and her brother. She sighed. She knew he wasn't far behind. She ignored Tig and motioned for her brother to come a little closer.

"So who the hell is this?"

"Manners please," she gave an unladylike snort, "Eric, this is my brother Opie. This is Tig and Happy."

"And you're Eric…," Tig began.

"I'm Eric, the fiancé."

Tig let out a low whistle, "Well that explains why you haven't been around much since you got here don't it?"

"Shut up Tig."

Eric looked between his girl and the three men. They were all wearing sleeveless leather vest and the bald one was sporting a lot of tattoos. He was quiet, almost unnervingly so. Her brother was giving her a look that seemed to be scolding. And who the hell was this Jax person she was supposedly avoiding. Just then the door opened again and he spotted a tall blonde guy in the same leather vest walk in, he paused for a second when he noticed the group before approaching with an arrogant swagger that caused immediate dislike.

"So what's with the leather? You guys in some kind of club or something," he asked with a smile, something none of them returned.

"MC babe. SAMCRO-Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original. It's a family thing."

"Jax, we were wondering what was taking you so long. This is Eric, Kat's fiancé," Tig said on an upnote.

Eric watched Kat and this Jax guy share a look that spoke of history. Suddenly, he wasn't all to hungry anymore.

"Congratulations. When's the wedding?"

"We haven't set a date yet," Eric offered.

"Really Kat," Jax asked ignoring the man in the Banana Republic sweater, "I seem to remember you always wanted a winter wedding right around Christmastime. Be warned, she's obsessed," he joked. Eric smirked.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Has been ever since she was a kid. She had a book and-."

"Okay I think that's enough of a trip down memory lane."

"Babe it was just getting interesting!"

And if he keeps talking it's about to get way more interesting everyone thought. Even the patrons knew where there were Sons and women involved things were bound to get hostile.

"You can hear more family stories tonight. Family dinner. Ma says attendance is mandatory. Bring the boyfriend," Jax told her before taking a seat in a booth in the corner. Kat watched all four of them walk away and swallowed the lump in her throat before turning around to face the problem in front of her.

"You guys grow up together?"

"Yeah. Jax is Opie's best friend."

"The other two?"

"Club members."

"So this club? Basically a bunch of guys who get together to ride motorcycles?"

"Um…it's a bit more complicated than that."

"So this family dinner I've just been invited to. Who's going to be there? Jax. Your brother. Your dad."

"The whole club."

"I don't understand," Eric said frowning, "I thought it was a family dinner."

"It is. The club-it's family."

Eric looked over at the table full of bikers staring him down. Complicated.

When Kat and Eric showed up at Gemma and Clay's house that night she had changed into a fitted red long sleeved knit dress and suede ankle boots with her leather jacket thrown on top of it. Eric was in jeans and another button down. She raised her hand to ring the doorbell but paused.

"Look, I want to explain something to you. The MC it's a lifestyle. And-."

"Babe calm down. I'm meeting the family, no big deal. And their bikers so what? They produced you so they can't be all bad."

_Yeah right_ she thought before taking a deep breath and ringing the doorbell. Chibs answered, smiling, "We thought you wouldn't show."

That hurt a bit but she smiled and moved past him, "Sorry we're late."

"Better late than never," he extended his hand to the man next to her, "I'm Chibs. You must be Eric, her intended."

She rolled her eyes, "This right here is the greatest Scotsman you will ever meet."

"Pleasure's mine. Go on in," he motioned for her.

She stepped into the living room, it smelled like leather, grease, smoke, and beer. Everything she had associated with home. She was instantly comforted by it. Clay got up and met her before she could really get settled in, "I heard you're getting married."

"Well news travels fast doesn't it," Eric asked before extending his hand, "Hi. I'm Eric. You Kate's dad?"

"Close. I'm Clay. Baby Girl's father is around here somewhere. Why don't you go help Gemma out in the kitchen. We'll get Eric here a beer."

"Clay I don't think-."

"That'd be a great idea," he interrupted giving her a look that said no arguments. She quirked her eyebrow and with a huff stomped towards the kitchen muttering something about know it all men. And Eric was left in a room with a bunch of bad ass bikers who were giving him dirty looks.

"Half Sack bring this man a beer. Looks like he needs one," Clay joked evoking laughter from everyone else but Eric's chuckles were nervous. When the prospect approached he raised an eyebrow questioning.

"Half Sack?"

"Served in Iraq. Long story."

At that, he took a long swig of his drink.

"So you a Son too," he asked the blond kid who didn't look old enough to drink yet alone serve in the military.

"No I'm a prospect. Jax's my sponsor."

"Jax," he asked fishing.

After the brief encounter in the diner earlier Kate hadn't brought up anything about Jax. Sure her brother, a woman named Gemma, and Tig but not Jax. That she had been elusive about, avoiding as Tig called it.

"Yeah. He's VP-Vice President-Clay's step-son."

"That sounds important."

"It is."

Half Sack and Eric made their way into the group. Tig. An older graying heavy man named Bobby. And a young Latin guy sporting a Mohawk and lightning bolt tattoos on the side of his head called Juice. Tig and Juice were talking about women called crow eaters. And he remembered earlier, Kate had referred to the club as SAMCRO. In his mind's eye he saw her back. The large crow that started near her shoulder blade and the smaller ones that went up around the bone over her shoulder ending at her collarbone.

"Do you guys usually get crow tattoos?"

"Women do. If I recall correctly your girl has one on her back," Tig said mischievously taking a sip of his beer.

"Yeah she does. How do you know about that?"

"Public knowledge here in Charming."

Before Tig could dig Kat's hole deeper Gemma came in and called out that it was time for dinner. They all filed towards the dinner table. Eric taking a seat between Opie and Kat across from Jax and a pretty brunette woman.

"I don't think I've met you yet."

"No I don't think so. I'm Tara. And you're Eric."

"Wow-does everyone in Charming know me."

"They will soon. Especially since you're marrying Kat."

"You notorious or something babe," he asked over the pasta salad. Having to be blind to miss the way Tara and Kat were staring at each other.

"Something like that."

"Well I guess you'd have to be with being part of a motorcycle club and all."

Kat stopped eating and looked at him confused, cheeks starting to turn pink. Jax noticed. She was either tense, frustrated, or pissed but given the situation it was probably a combination of all three.

"What are you talking about? Women can't join the Sons."

"Tig said the women usually get crow tattoos."

Silence. Everyone turned towards Tig with a look that asked really? but he just shrugged and kept eating his pasta salad, "Wasn't my fault. He asked."

"Um…the tattoo just means I was affiliated with the club?"

"Affiliated? Because of your dad and your brother? Seems kind of intense to be marked because your dad and brother are part of a motorcycle club."

"It's more complicated than that," Gemma said.

"Maybe Kit Kat can explain it you later," Opie suggested at seeing his sister lean her head on her hand and stare down at the table.

She was busy convincing herself not to look at Jax. She was getting flushed. She was ticked off. Fuck Tig. He had to open his damn mouth. But it wasn't his fault. She should've told Eric everything before this trip. Which brought her to the second part of the flushing business-she was embarrassed. Embarrassed that she was having this conversation in front of her entire family. The entire family that was totally and completely Anti-Eric. A small sliver of her wondered if someone would just put her out of her misery and tell him the truth for her.

"Wow, it's really that complicated?"

"It's actually pretty simple Eric," Tara began, "I have a crow tattoo because of my affiliation with the club. I got it back in high school, when I dated Jax."

"Tara, do you want me to come across this table and beat the shit out of you?"

_Yes_, Gemma smiled. This was the Kat she knew. Not some reserved quiet woman who flushed with embarrassment. In knowing Kat for her entire life, she had never once known the girl to be ashamed of anything. She hadn't a clue why she would pick up the habit now. But it was hard being put in this situation. She was beginning to warm to Tara. And both women had history with her son. But if she had to choose-it would be Kat hands down. She had grown up with the club, the club was all she knew at one point. She could see the struggle, fighting for normalcy with this guy she had brought back home and the pull she felt towards Charming. She knew that's why she had stayed away, avoided all contact. It was the best way to keep her out.

"Babe what's gotten into you?"

She took a deep breath and turned to face Gemma, "I'm sorry to eat and run but I'm exhausted."

"Exhausted," Jax asked.

"Yes exhausted."

"More like running scared."

With three days worth of pent up anger and confusion she chucked her plate across the table at him, narrowly avoiding his head and screamed, "Fuck you Jackson Teller! I haven't been afraid of anything in my life."

"Really," he asked with a smile, "then why haven't you told the guy you're marrying that you almost married me? That the tattoo on your back means you belong to me?"


	4. Chapter 4

Dead silence. Kat was still standing, her lower lip trembling. Her nostrils were flared. And her breath quickened.

"Are you fucking shitting me? God you were always a prickly bastard!"

"The only one at this table who's changed is you."

At his statement Kat stood ramrod straight and looked down the table at her father, at Clay, Gemma, turned towards her brother and finally landed her eyes on the man she was planning on marrying. She sighed, "This was a mistake." She didn't say another word as she left the table, Eric standing up and following her lead. No one missed the dejected look upon his face. Collective sighs and groans went around the room and Tig spared a look at Tara who was looking particularly stunned.

Opie watched his sister leave with her fiancé. He gave Jax a hard look before standing up to follow Kat, leaving his best friend with a slew of angry family members. She was getting in the passenger side, something that struck him as odd-she never let anyone drive her car.

"Kat," he called out, bounding down the steps to the car door. She was halfway in the car and the expression on her face was full of mixed emotions-anger, sadness, fatigue, confusion, regret, fear, "You know Jax."

"I do. I'll come by tomorrow," she whispered haggardly.

He loved his sister. And he loved his brother. But both of them needed to get their shit together. Suddenly his mind took him back to the day that changed everything. Clay and himself had rode up to Jax and Kat's place, ambulance and a Sheriff patrol car in the driveway. She had been sitting down, eyes completely glazed over, void of anything-almost cationic. And Jax had been standing in the corner. The rift began then. When they should've been comforting each other they had been miles apart. Things had never settled. He watched his brother pine for his kid, for his woman. Kat's abrupt departure had almost been too much as Jax had buried himself in anything to take the mind off the grief and the abandonment he felt. Then Tara had come back. But deep down he knew that things were still unresolved between his sister and his best friend. And now, the thought scared him.

Inside Tara was yelling at Jax, "She belongs to you?"

"I didn't mean it like that-."

He was exasperated. He felt like he was at the end of his rope. He had only felt like this once before when he had sat in his baby girl's room and realized that she was not coming back. When he had read Kat's fucking post-it note.

"You didn't mean it like that? How did you mean it then?"

"It's complicated Tara."

"Are we ever going to talk about her? About Leah?"

"Don't," he instructed, his eyes turning cold.

"Why the hell not? You need to talk about this Jax."

"You don't understand!"

"I wouldn't understand? Really tell me what you do think I understand because I have the feeling you don't think I understand anything. As compared to Kat right, who understands everything?"

"For fuck sake she was born into the MC. It's different for Kat!"

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes, "I can see that," she sighed before grabbing her keys and her jacket and heading out the front door.

He was alone momentarily before his mother came in. he sighed, rubbed his hand over his face, "Not now Ma."

"Yes now Jackson. You've been getting closer to stupid ever since Donna died. Now Kat shows up and you've gone completely ape shit. Running scared? That girl's never been scared of anything."

"I know," he told her, "but she is ashamed. Ashamed of us. Ashamed of me."

"How the fuck do you know that? Did it ever occur to you that Kat's hurting just like you. Maybe she didn't tell that Eric guy everything because it hurts. What have you told Tara about Kat? About Leah's name on your forearm."

He didn't answer seeing where this was going. He had been in a piss poor mood for three days. Quiet and snapping when he did speak. The only time he got comfort and peace was when he held Abel at night. God he loved that kid. When he had first learned Wendy was pregnant and decided to try to work things out, his mother had been worried. Worried that she and the child she carried had been a replacement for the family he had made and lost with Kat. But now she knew he loved his son as much as he could love anybody or anything. She had once felt the same about Kat. That she had been a replacement for Tara.

Kat had been 15 when Tara left for college. She had went over to the clubhouse and knocked some sense into Jax. It didn't take long, a week tops and he had held her V card. Not that she was surprised. The SAMCRO princess had been in love with the prince since she was 3. But she had been worried because she had been 15 and Jax had been almost 20 or she had been worried until her son had made the decision not to touch the piece of jailbait in front of him until she was legal, out of respect for Opie and Piney. She knew then that maybe Kat had succeeded. And as soon as her 18th birthday rolled around the two had been inseparable. When it came to the love of Jackson Teller's life it could very well be Tara Knowles. But his mother knew that Katherine Winston was his soul mate.

"Ma."

"Yeah?"

"I haven't touched Tara since she showed up."

Gemma sighed. That was out of the ordinary. Jax loved pussy. Angry sex, distant sex, emotionally charged sex. To him on some basic level whatever kind of sex it was didn't matter. And she knew her son would normally work out his frustration and anger with sex with Tara. So why wasn't he?

"You need to decide what you want. If you pick Kat, stake your claim before she goes back to Denver."

"So when were you going to tell me?"

The couple were sitting in the motel parking lot. She did not want to have this conversation right now. Honestly, she just needed sleep. But she had a feeling it would elude her tonight.

"Tell you what?"

"Damnit Kate this is not the time to play coy!"

She leaned her head back and sighed, closing her eyes. But all she could see was Jax sitting there at the table looking smug as he had tried to ruin her life with his declaration that she belonged to him. Okay maybe that was just a bit overdramatic. She was tired. Tired of trying to forget.

"Jax and I got together when I was 18. We had a beautiful baby girl named Leah. We were supposed to be married. But one morning when I woke up, I went to go check in on her. She wasn't breathing. Paramedics said she was DOA. Jax just checked himself out. And for two months I went through the motions until I finally couldn't do it anymore. One night, I packed all my shit up and left. That was four years ago."

She folded her arms across her chest and took a deep breath, waiting. She knew what was coming next. She hadn't spent three years with the guy without learning anything.

"He said the tattoo means you belong to him. Do you? Belong to him?"

Honestly she hadn't known a time when she hadn't belonged to Jackson Teller. Even when she had left he and what they had constantly haunted her. Kept her from being fully honest about anything. Maybe she still did belong to him. But maybe now it just wasn't the same.

"A part of me always will Eric. We shared a child together," at his silence she continued, "I'm guessing that wasn't what you wanted to hear."

"I'm not worried about that. It makes sense. I can't begin to understand that kind of loss baby. But why didn't you tell me about all this Kat?"

She stilled, "What'd you call me?"

"Kat."

"You never call me Kat."

No one back in Denver called her Kat. She watched him clench his jaw.

"They do. Your family does."

"What exactly are you trying to say," she asked feeling like he was beating around the bush.

"I feel like I don't know you. This temper, the attitude, the secrecy. I know it's being back here. But is it more than that? Is it Jax?"

"Just ask me what you want to fucking know Eric."

"Alright. Do you still love him?"

She thought she could handle that question. But hearing it in her head and hearing it hearing it out loud were two totally and completely different thing. She threw open the car door and slammed it behind her, fumbling in the dark for her keys.

"Kat! Don't walk away from me!"

"What do you want me to say Eric?"

"I want you to tell me that you weren't avoiding him because you've still got feelings for him and want to spare mine! I want you to tell me that your ex didn't just bait me because he's jealous! And I want you to tell me that you don't love him, that you love me, and that tomorrow you want to leave this shit hole, go back to Denver, and be my fucking wife!"

He was standing in front of her, panting, the veins in his throat and the one between his eyebrows throbbing as he screamed at her.

"I can't have this discussion right now," she said trying to turn away before he saw her cry. He didn't understand. Didn't understand what this was doing to her. To be around family, family she had sorely missed but couldn't return to because of the fear and the guilt. The guilt over leaving. The fear that when she got back they would be too angry to accept her. And then to be welcomed back with such open arms except by the one person she had loved so much she couldn't even explain it. And then to have it all unravel in front of a man she was thinking of spending the rest of her life with. Her coming back to Charming, back home only served to solidify that she hadn't left the old behind. And until she could did there was no way in hell she could successfully begin a new one with Eric. But when she tried to turn away, to get to her room, to fall into the bed and sleep so she could figure out how to do jus that, Eric grabbed her arm roughly and yanked her towards him. And it hurt.

"Listen Kat-."

"Let me the fuck go."

"Not until you listen to me."

"You won't be able to talk when I jam your balls up your throat. Now let me go."

He did slowly, "What's happening to us? You know what, let's just leave. Tomorrow. We can go back home."

"I can't leave tomorrow. My brother's wife just died. I need to be here for him."

Something flickered across her face. Something she didn't want to dwell on. She twirled the key around her finger before saying something she never thought she would say, "Why don't you go for a drive. I'm going to get some sleep."

Well an hour later and she still hadn't gotten any sleep. She was wearing a pair of striking red lace boy shorts and one of Eric's button downs, sitting on top of the covers, painting her toenails, watching the Brando-Sinatra version of Guys and Dolls. When a knock came on the door she took a deep breath. She hoped he had calmed down so they could talk-civilly. Not that she blamed him for being upset. Who wouldn't be when your current girlfriend's ex was being so antagonistic. She had nearly lunged across the room when she had seen Tara on first sight. All she could remember was how heartbroken Jax had been when that bitch had left. Now she just showed up and had to make the comment about the crow tattoo. She had itched to grab a hold of the doctor's hair and slam her face down at least three times into Gemma's table. But it had been a family dinner and she hadn't want to show Eric that rough and tumble side of her tonight. Even though he had seen on a few rare occasions. When she had left Charming she had become rather subdued-but now that she was back, well let's just say that the beast inside was itching to get back on familiar hunting grounds and let loose some frustration. But when she opened the door, her mind went blank in a second flat.

"Jax," she stated breathlessly.

"Hey," he said just as breathless.

Then remembering why she couldn't sleep she took a defensive stance, gripping the door, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," he said, pushing past her and into the room.

Kat was so distracted she didn't notice that her car was parked on the road.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm sorry about tonight," he began, tucking his hands into his jean pockets.

"Yeah, sure you are," she said with a snort, flopping down into a chair in the corner, pulling her legs up underneath her. Remembering then that she wasn't wearing a bra and that was naked on bottom. The thought should've made her go pick up at least a pair of shorts from her bag. But it didn't. This wasn't the first time had had seen her like this, even before they had been official.

"I shouldn't have called you afraid. I've never known you to be afraid of anything."

"Anything," she asked.

His eyes immediately went down to her thigh. At the scar there. She had been 19 and they had been heading up to San Francisco-just for some time together. He had been going too fast around a curve and lost control-something that had happened only once in all the years he had been riding a bike. The accident hadn't been nearly as bad as it could've been but she still bore a couple of nasty scars, raised pale skin, that wrapped around her thigh towards her knee. Eight months later on her twentieth birthday she had announced she was pregnant.

"Well that night doesn't count. You faked it pretty well."

"I've been afraid a couple of time in my life."

They locked eyes remembering the one singular moment he had seen her fear. She had went into labor a few weeks early and she had gripped his hand so tight, tears spilling. She had been afraid then. Telling him it was too early. And by the time they had gotten to the hospital she was so far along she didn't have time for an epidural. The pain. It had frightened her. And he'd been afraid too. Childbirth was a long scary ass process. And he had been worried that Leah would be born with the Teller curse. But she had been perfectly healthy. It was what made losing her all the worst. It had been sudden, unexpected.

He walked towards her then, peered down at her with those soulful blue eyes she could never get away from. Even now, even after four fucking years she still couldn't look away. He was damn near hypnotic. He bit his lip before speaking.

"I know why you left. But why didn't you call?"

She felt the pressure then, him looking down at her. She wished she could look away but she couldn't. Her breath quickened and tears begin to well up in her eyes. Long meaningful tears she had been crying in private for years now. She didn't have time to react before he pulled her up out of the chair and towards him, wrapping his arms around her tight. God he smelled good. Like cologne and smoke and grease from the garage. And she caved. She began to sob. Letting him tighten his arms around her. He kissed her forehead but he didn't speak. Just held her. And he cried to. She felt wet drops fall into her hair. Why hadn't they done this before? Cried together? Maybe if they had things would be different.

Finally the sobs no longer racked her body and she took a deep breath. Bad idea. With the inhale and the exhale her breast moved along his chest and she felt a familiar stirring in the bottom of her stomach. And if what was beginning to swell between them was any indication, he felt it too. She didn't know how it happened. She had no idea who kissed who first or when they began but she did know when she pulled away from him she needed to think.

"Jax," she said brokenly as his lips went down to her neck, intending to coax her into submission, "this isn't right. We can't do this. You have Tara and then there's Eric."

"Do not," he said grabbing her by the arms, "say that fucker's name."

Jax looked down at her, flushed, plump lips kissed, and then noticed she was wincing. He looked down at his hands where they were holding her arms and abruptly let go before grabbing her wrist and pulling the sleeves of the man's shirt she was wearing. On her arms were two large red bruises that looked like they had been put there by hands.

"What the fuck is this Kitten."

"Don't worry about it. And don't call me that."

"Don't worry about it? Tell me what happened Katherine."

She bit her lip. He only called her than when he was way past pissed. She didn't know what was wrong with her, guessed she was on an emotional rollercoaster. That was the only explanation as to why his anger was turning her on. But she sobered up. The look on his face told her that he already had some kind of suspicion but it wasn't what he was thinking. She had to say something. If not he would take care of it and that would only end in blood.

"Eric and I got into an argument is all. He just grabbed me a bit too hard. Don't worry about it. It won't happen again."

"Where is Eric anyway?"

"He went for a drive. We both needed to clear our heads."

"Clear your heads?"

"C'mon Jax…announcing that I belonged to you."

"I apologized for saying that."

"Exactly. For saying it. Not for meaning it," she slipped. She gasped and turned away from him to compose herself. She swallowed hard and lifted her head up towards the ceiling asking God why the hell he had put Jax Teller in her life-the only man who could cause her to act without a thought and rile her temper in a second, the only person she had listened to growing up. She remembered when they were kids Opie being jealous of Jax because she always listened to him. Did what she was told, maybe not. But she always heard him out. It was because he was the only one who could completely put up with her. And the same was true for her. Even when he was with Tara, she had put her feelings and adolescent pettiness away because he had loved her.

She felt him wrap his arms around her middle and instinctively she leaned back into his touch. It was scary, how they could fall back in this rhythm. How good it felt to have him wrap his arms around her, his mouth nibbling on her ear, her neck, her shoulder. But she could feel her engagement ring on her finger. She was so torn, on the verge of tears and another sobbing fit. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she hadn't wanted Jax. It had taken months to get used to waking up in Eric's bed after spending half of her life fantasizing about being in Jax's and actually living there for four years. But slowly she had began to trust Eric enough-but clearly not enough as she hadn't operated in a policy of full disclosure. She could understand his frustration. Outlaw biker ex. Failed engagement. Deceased child. Those were things you would want to know about the person you proposed to. Things you thought you should've known after being with said person for three years.

"Hey. Where are you," he asked in her ear, breath tickling her skin.

"Far away. Back to when things were less complicated. When I could just get on the back of your bike and we'd head for the streams."

"We could still do that. Escape for a while?"

"Exactly. For a while. When we got back I'd still be engaged to Eric."

She felt him sigh before he did. And he tightened his arms around her before she decided to move out of his embrace. It was a testament to how well they knew each other.

"Are you going back to Denver," he asked, a slight hitch in his voice that she knew her actions had put there.

"Not for a while. Ope needs me."

"How long you plan on staying?"

"A couple of weeks."

"And Eric?"

She looked down at her ring, playing with it, twirling it around her finger, sliding it up and down. Her confusion playing out on her face. He didn't speak. He didn't want her to go, he couldn't let her go, not now. Not after he had seen her, talked with her, fought with her, held her, touched her, kissed her. He couldn't let her leave him again. He wouldn't let her leave him again. She didn't love this guy. And even if she did not nearly as much as she loved him. He wasn't an idiot. She had loved him her entire life. He remembered her walking into the clubhouse eleven years ago, wearing a pair of short denim shorts, sneakers, and a blue plaid shirt. She had shoved her way past the crow eaters, the sweet butts, her father, her brother, and his own mother into his room. She had burst in, ordered the girl in his bed out of it with so much authority in her petite 5'3'' frame that the girl had grabbed her clothes and made a speedy exit. He remembered her silencing his protests with a quick hard slap. In his pain and anger he grabbed her and threw her up against the wall but she just cursed and kneed him in the balls, sending him down to the floor. And then she said it, the one thing that assured him his little kitten had grew up, _"Jackson Teller! Everyone's been making allowances because of Tara. But now it's time to get over it and get back to living. She isn't coming back and drowning yourself in booze and pussy isn't going to make you feel any better. Stop being a shit head, get over yourself, take a shower because you smell like skank, and come out of this fucking nasty ass room and go to work!" _A week later, out by the streams, he had her beneath him. It'd been a while since he'd been someone's first. He had used a gentleness with her then he forgot he possessed. And he had loved her. If his behavior over the past few days was any indication, he still did.

"I don't know what's going to happen Jax. But whatever does happen there's not a doubt in my mind that there is going to be fallout."


	6. Chapter 6

He was sitting in the car in the motel parking lot, gripping the steering wheel, sunlight peering through the windows. He was seething. He hadn't wanted to do it, hadn't wanted to ask. But he needed to. He had secrets to. A wayward brother who his family never spoke of. He hadn't seen him in twelve years, not even when he was released from his stint in prison for armed robbery. But there was something about her family. Something that led him to seek consultation from his older brother. He called his mother first. Knew she would know where to find him. He was after all her favorite. Even though he had been the one to graduate high school, go on to college, and become a decent member of society. She always ran after Michael. Picking up after his mistakes, sticking up for him when he was trouble. His brother answered with a sneer.

"_Mom said you were going to call."_

"_This isn't cordial."_

"_Really? Shock and surprise there. What do you want little brother?"_

"_Look I'm in some shit town with my girl. Do you anything about some two bit motorcycle club named SAMCRO."_

_There was silence on the other end. He could hear his brother breathing. He rolled his eyes. Michael was always so dramatic._

"_Sons of Anarchy? How the fuck did you come to know about them?"_

"_My girl. Her dad and her brother are Sons."_

"_So why are you asking me and not her? Well I guess it's not all rainbows and sunshine in that relationship."_

"_Look are you going to tell me what you know or not?"_

"_I knew some Sons while I was locked up. I know that they're some scary mother fuckers and if you're calling me about them you're in some deep shit. My advice leave your girl with her family and get out. They're some crazy sons of bitches."_

"_I know crazy."_

"_Don't do anything stupid little brother. It'd kill mom to have to bury you."_

"_Yeah. Whatever."_

He wasn't going to do anything stupid. Just ask his fiance why the fuck she thought some outlaw biker was better than him. And she had married into that group of trash? It was time for him to put his foot down, she was coming back to Denver with him whether she liked it or not. But he was going to make sure she would learn to like it.

He got out of the car and made his way towards their motel room, knocking on the door. She answered it in a pair of tight fitting jeans and a dark colored V-neck sweater that hugged her curves and showed off her cleavage. She was slipping on some large silver hoop earrings. Her hair was still a bit damp and her face was still pink from the shower, the sunlight shining on a few of the freckles spread across the pale skin of her nose and cheekbones.

"You didn't come back last night."

"Well you're the one who suggested I clear my head."

"Yeah, I did. Had to clear mine too."

It was then that he noticed she wasn't wearing her engagement ring. She stopped her ministrations when she caught him staring and sighed. He looked around the room and noticed the diamond sitting on the nightstand.

"What the fuck is this Kate?"

"I'm sorry Eric. But I'm not ready. Not now."

"You're not ready? You've been ready for a month and now all of a sudden you've got ex that came out of the woodworks and you want to give me this ring back."

"I think we both know it's more complicated than that. There's things I need to deal with. Things I need to handle before I commit myself to you. I can't do that without closure. Because then neither of us will be happy."

"I'll tell you what will make me happy? Put this ring back on your finger, pack your shit, and let's go home."

"I can't. I told you-."

"This isn't about your fucking brother and you know it," he screamed, swiping at the lamp on the nightstand so that it flew towards her, "We're going back to Denver!"

"No we are not!"

The door kicked in then and standing behind it was Tig, looking completely nonchalant about the situation but she eyed the piece his hand was caressing, "Is there a problem baby girl?"

She looked between him and Eric and back again. She hadn't wanted it to go like this. She just wanted to tell him that she wanted to postpone the engagement-not indefinitely, just until she got her head cleared and her emotions in check. She just needed time. Time to do the grieving and the healing she had never let herself do those years ago.

"No problem Tig. Just a charged discussion."

"Kat. I'm sorry about the screaming and the yelling and the lamp and for not coming back last night but I need you to know that I love you and I want you to marry me. And if you want that too then you need to come home with me today."

"And if I don't," she challenged.

Tig smiled. He had been waiting for this. The only person Kat had ever listened to about needing anything was Jax. She even ignored Gemma, which took balls a lot of men didn't even have. And he hadn't liked the tone or the expression on this guy's face. He had known and dealt with a lot of crazy mother fuckers-and this guy was suddenly at the top of his list. He seemed sincere but Tig's bullshit detector had a major hard on.

"Then I'm leaving. And I'm taking this ring with me."

The unspoken threat was in his words. _If you stay, then it's over. _She closed her eyes. In the back of her mind she had kind of thought it might come to this. She felt regret and guilt swell up inside of her before a fleeting sense of relief. Relief that he had done what she couldn't do. End her relationship with a man she wasn't sure she knew and she wasn't sure if he knew her. When she opened them, Eric saw the resolve in them and knew he had just lost this battle. She was going to stay. She was actually going to join this filthy group of criminals and go back to that convicted felon. She was going to stay in this town and become some filthy biker whore. Over his dead body.

"If that's the way you feel Eric. I guess this is over. Go home Eric. I wish you the best," she told him sincerely before picking up her leather jacket and rushing past Tig outside. She didn't hear what happened next.

"Eric. Go back to Denver. Don't anything stupid."

His brother words haunted him and he nodded his head, "Tell her I'm sorry things had to be this way."

Tig turned and followed Kat towards his bike. But there was something about the man he left upstairs. Something in his demeanor. In his words that made his trigger finger itch and wonder should he have put a bullet between the fucker's eyes then because he knew. He knew that he might have to end up doing just that.


	7. Chapter 7

"Aunt Kat," Ellie yelled running towards the brunette coming up the front stairs. She wrapped her arms around her. Kat smiled and lifted her up into a big hug.

"Hey baby. Where's your brother?"

"Around."

"Where's Grandpa?"

"Watching t.v."

She carried her niece into the living room. Between her brother and Jax she hadn't had much time to talk to her father. They had never been particularly close. He had always complained he really didn't know what to do with a girl. And then there had been the issues with her mother and the Club. And then his own time serving in prison. In the years that she had been Jax's Old Lady they had definitely bonded. But she had set that back when she left. He didn't even look up when she came into the room.

"Hey dad. How's it going?"

"How do you think it's going," he replied with heavy breath.

Ellie clamored down from her aunt and went to hug her grandfather. Then she just smiled at her aunt and ran from the room. She was putting on a brave face. She must've got it from her aunt. Kat sighed and sat across from her dad, unsure of what to say.

"Where's Ope?"

"Sleep. Sleeps a lot lately."

She twiddled her thumbs, feeling the tension prick at her. She blew out a breath and fidgeted some more.

"Where's your ring?"

"With Eric. On its way back to Denver."

"Jax," her father asked.

"Let's just say," she shrugged, "he didn't know me as well as he thought he did."

"So it's over."

She nodded, leaning back. In four days her life had completely changed. She was back in her hometown, without a fiance, and had an ex-fiance who was currently involved with his high school sweetheart. Yeah, things were definitely going good. But she shook herself out of her selfishness, she was here for her brother. She stood up and began to head towards Opie's bedroom when her father called her name.

"Yeah."

"You staying baby girl?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out," she told him before turning the corner.

Her brother was laying in bed, naked from the waist up, hand thrown across his eyes. He looked haggard. She bit her lip, nervous. She approached the side of the bed and said his name, gently shaking his shoulder. He came to slowly, groaning, the sunlight causing him to turn over. Classic hangover.

"Hey big brother."

"Hey," he said still with a slight slur but apparently his wits were beginning to collect around him when he reached for the hand that was still on his shoulder and pulled it in front of his face. She nearly jerked it away from him in protest before she realized it was her left hand.

"Don't ask. I'm here for you. Speaking of which why don't you get a shower and we all, Ellie, Kenny, and dad go out for lunch."

"You wanna have lunch with dad? Did hell freeze over?"

"Ha ha ha, funny. Just hop in the shower. You smell awful," she told him. She made a move to leave but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down for a long hug.

"I love you," he bit out, "and I'm glad you're back. And I hope to God you don't fucking leave again."

She nodded against him before telling him one more time to get dressed. Closing the bedroom door behind her she called for Kenny. He came downstairs with an attitude and she raised her eyebrows. God, it was going to be one of those days.

"Hey kid, heads up we're all going for lunch today."

"Who? Grandpa, you, me and Ellie?"

Oh Ope. Last night Jax had told her he had pulled away from the kids. But she hadn't really known what to do when faced with it. How'd you tell a kid that even though dad wasn't around he still loved you. She had been in Kenny's shoes for. Well, granted her mother wasn't dead-but she might as well have been. When she had been 12, her mother had tried to take her and Opie out of Charming. She had protested, clung to her father, then Clay, then Gemma, then finally Jax and begged them not to let her mother take her away. She hadn't been gone for long, by her 13th birthday she was back. Just then the doorbell rang.

"Yeah. And your dad. He's in the shower right now. So why don't you and Ellie go get cleaned up. I'm going to go see who's at the door."

She swung the door open, fully expecting to see Tig or Gemma or Jax. But who she did see drained the color from her face. Speak of the devil. Mary Winston was on the doorstep with luggage in tow. Fuck.

"One more thing you oughta know," Tig said before Clay adjourned their church meeting, "Baby Girl's prick boyfriend left town this morning."

"Wait a second Kat's not engaged anymore," Juice asked with a leering smile. Idiot. Every head at that table turned to Jax.

"Doesn't seem like it. But I have a feeling that doesn't mean it's over."

"What are you talking about Tig?"

"There's something off about that guy man. I had to bust in the motel door he was screaming so loud, knocked a few things around too."

Silence. Tig pegged his VP a look, watched his anger turn into a cool and calm, collected expression. He respected the hell out of Jax, he really did. But he had his doubts, had his doubts that Jax would step up and do what needed to be done as the club headed in the direction they were going. If he could, he would need someone like Kat.

"She seem surprised by it," Clay asked.

"Extremely surprised. He had been gone all night. Can you believe Kat let him drive her car? And she had bruises too. I could tell by the slight wince she gave when I grabbed her arms after I dropped her off at Opie's place."

"Yeah, we talked about that last night," Jax said nostrils flaring, corner of his mouth threatening to pull into a smirk.

"Last night," Tig asked.

"Nothing like that. After what happened at family dinner, we needed to talk."

"So what'd she say?"

"Said they got into argument but he quickly let her go after she threatened to feed him his balls."

That got a few chuckles. A few men at the table had heard that threat from Kat at least once in her lifetime and most who heard it heeded the warning. There had been at least two occasions when Kat had delivered her promise to Jax. That one time after Tara left. And once again when he had tried to order her around during her pregnancy. She had promptly told him she was pregnant not dying. And when he told her he didn't care, she lifted her knee past her swollen belly and got him one good. In the end, he had been the one to apologize.

"Anything else we need to know?"

When no one answered the question Clay banged his gavel and ended the meeting. Jax left with the full intention of swinging by Opie to talk to Kat. He smiled inwardly at her engagement being over. When Tig had first said the word fiance in that diner yesterday he had felt that familiar impulsive rage rise up in him again. Who the fuck had the nerve to propose to his Kitten? Now he had business to take care of. He knew Kat. She handled the general rule well-whatever happened on a run stayed on a run. But she wasn't going to hang around for long if he kept his relationship with Tara. He had a decision to make. Tara or Kat.

It seemed like fate was going to make the decision for him because in the parking lot was a Dr. Tara Knowles. And she looked fucking pissed. He rubbed his hand over his face. God, he could not catch a break. He went from one angry chick to the next. He approached and he did not see the slap coming. Then she threw something at him.

"What the fuck is this Jax?"

He picked up the slips of paper lying on the asphalt and turned them in his hand. They were pictures, grainy but discernible like they had been taken from a cell phone of some sort. But even he could make those pictures out. Him pulling up to a motel on his bike. Him knocking on the door. Kat answering it. Kat answering it in just a top and her underwear. Him leaving said motel but not before wrapping Kat up in his arms and giving her a swift kiss. A million thoughts went through his head but the main one was who the fuck was following him around taking pictures.

"How'd you come by these?"

"Doesn't matter how I came by these. What I want to know is if you slept with her last night."

"No I didn't."

But he didn't finish his statement. Didn't say what she knew he was feeling. _Doesn't mean I didn't want to._ That was almost worst for her. He hadn't slept with her. So what did they do? Talk all night. It had been dark in the first picture and the sunlight had begun to peek through the sky, the hours of pre-dawn. She might have rather him slept with her because she knew Jackson Teller could bring a girl to her knees with a good conversation. She told herself that maybe this wasn't such a bad thing to get riled up over. That maybe it was good they talked. That they could both get closure and Kat could go back to Denver and get married and she would finally, once again like back in high school, have all of Jax's heart. But she couldn't help her insecurity. She knew Jax. And if his ex came to the door dressed like that he was going to have a hard time if any keeping it in his pants.

"I'm not sure if I believe you or not."

"Well then don't," he told her bluntly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I don't really care if you believe me or not. And quite frankly I don't owe you an explanation."

"You don't owe me an explanation? Are you fucking kidding me? We're together Jax. Which means if I find out you've been sleeping around on me with your cheating slut of an ex, who left you in the middle of the night by the way, I get to ask questions!"

"Hey-don't talk about her like that!"

"Why not? That's what she is. She's engaged Jax! What else do you call a woman who opens the door for a man like that who isn't her fiance."

He sighed. He hadn't wanted to do this like this. Not here. Not now. Not with his brothers and his mother behind him watching the scene unfold. Everyone had been on pins and needles around him and Tara ever since her return. But add Kat to the mix it had been a long time coming. Tig had asked him why he hadn't told her Kat was back. Why he left her blind up until Kat had walked in the door at the family dinner last night. But he had to do it. His mother had told him to stake his claim if he wanted to be with Kat.

"She's not engaged anymore."

"What," Tara asked feeling all the blood drain from her face. Oh God. She couldn't do this. Not again. She couldn't loose him all over again.

"They broke up this morning."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I think you know why."

She swallowed and turned her head away for a second. He saw the tears begin to flow but she wiped at him before taking a stabilizing breath and turning to look him in the eye again, "So is this over?"

"Yeah. I think we were crazy to try to get it started again. Too much happened after you left Tara."

"More like someone left after I happened," she said bitterly before getting in the car and driving away. He waited until he could see her anymore before he called Juice over. He looked down at the photographs again and frowned. Who the hell was stalking him.

"Jax, I'm sorry about-."

"No worries. Look, I need you to take a look at these for me. Find out where they came from."

Juice looked through them quickly and frowned. Who the hell would be following Jax? There were a couple of possibilities definitely. Especially with the ATF on their houses. But the ATF getting involved in romantic entanglements, Jax cheating on Tara. That didn't make sense. Who would want to break Tara and Jax up? His thoughts would've went to the boyfriend-well Kat's ex-boyfriend-but making Jax single definitely was not going to help him win Kat back. So once again Juice asked himself, what the hell is going on here?


	8. Chapter 8

"Mom," Kat let out on a breath.

She hadn't a clue why she was so surprised. I mean her father had called her, no surprise he would call his estranged wife.

"Kat, your father didn't tell me you were going to be here."

Smart move dad, she thought. It had been years since she had seen her mother. She had been eighteen and once she had found out what was going on between her and Jax she had tried putting an end to it. She remembered clear as day. She had been in her room, upstairs in this very house, packing a bag for an overnight with Jax when she heard light footsteps coming up the stairs.

_Kat turned around to face the doorway, one hip cocked to the side as she looked at her mother. She groaned, rolling her eyes knowing where this conversation was going to end up. An argument._

"_Where you going Katherine?"_

_As if she didn't know. She had to know, that was the only reason why she would show up here now. She scrunched her eyebrows wondering how she had even known about it until she thought about her father. She had no idea why he felt like he still had to feel his ex-wife on every detail of his children's lives. Especially this specific detail._

"_I'm going to Jax's mom."_

"_Jax? How long has that been going on?"_

"_Cute mom."_

_Mary sighed, looking at her daughter. Dressed in denim shorts and an oversized basic t-shirt that had REAPER written across the front of it and cowboy boots she looked like Jackson Teller's Old Lady. And she worried. Worried because she knew where this would end up. Her daughter with a case of serious grieving heart break._

"_Kat. I worry about you. You're still young. You still have a chance to break away from this life. Before it's too late! Before you have children and a man in jail!"_

Kat remembered yelling at her mother to get out. They had both ended up in tears. Tears that Kat had been quick to wipe away. The last time she had cried dealing with her mother it hadn't been one of lost wishes, wishing that she could please her mother like any other girl wanted to. They had been tears of anger. Leah had been three months old when law enforcement had rushed into their house and arrested Jax for gun smuggling right in front of her. She remembered holding a distraught Leah, trying to be strong for her child and be strong for her man. Her mother hadn't even waited twenty-four hours to call her with a big fat I told you followed by an invitation for her and Leah to come stay with her. That conversation had ended with a big fat Fuck you.

"He didn't tell me you were going to be here either. Come on in mom," she said stepping aside and picking up a piece of basic luggage off the front porch.

"So…how have you been?"

"Fine. Just got in from Denver. You know to be with Ope."

"Denver?"

"Yeah that's where I headed after I left."

"Oh your father didn't tell me that."

"Well he didn't know."

Kat felt this conversation getting more awkward by the second. Curbed polite responses were as far as they were going to get. Unless her mother kept pushing and then temperamental responses were going to be next in the line of succession. They stood there looking at each other in the hallway before her mother initiated conversation again with a casually placed, "How long you staying?"

"Um…I don't know."

"Hey Kat," Opie said coming around the corner, "where were you thinking of heading for lunch because I just got a call from Jax about-," he trailed off seeing his mother standing there in the hallway, "Mom?"

"Hey Harry," she said, getting all teary eyed and rushing to him for a hug. Kat left out a rush of relief, thankful for her brother's timely and accidental rescue. She looked at the two with a hidden smile, knowing despite her own relationship with her mother that this would be good for Opie. Maybe help him pull himself out of this depression and deal with his children. Donna was gone. They needed him.

"Hey mom. I'm glad to see you."

"So am I. though I wish it was on better circumstances," she whispered giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Your sister told me she's going to be staying a couple of weeks. It'd be nice to have everyone under the same roof again."

Kat winced, remembering that she hadn't exactly made plans to stay anywhere else for a couple of more weeks. She had thought about asking her brother but now with her mom here, she wasn't sure that was the brightest of ideas. She could stay with Tig-wait a second, eww. There was Gemma and Clay-as Jax was definitely out of the question for now. After last night, she wouldn't make it a day without ending up in his bed. She was surprised they hadn't slept together last night-not for his lack of trying. She smiled at the thought, remembering his gentle kisses that had quickly turned well, not so gentle. The remembered feel of him on top of her. Sure they had made out but she had drawn a distinct line in the sand. Clothes stayed on and hands remained above the waist and lips had not been allowed to go below the neck. Not when everything was as confused as it was. And she had been super confused. Especially when Jax had told him about his brief disaster of a marriage. She had to admit she had been momentarily stunned and jealous. But when he told her about Abel, well that had put that negativity to a halt and her heart had been consumed with sympathy and compassion. There was one thing she knew for sure about Jax and that was that he was a great father. He had shown her a picture of his son and his face had let up with the kind of love and devotion most parents got when talking about their children. She was happy for him.

"Mom. We're going to go out for lunch if you'd like-."

"Why don't I just go pick us up something and bring it back," Kat offered, taking the opportunity to get out of the house and figure out what the hell she was going to do about her living situation and her mother's arrival, grabbing the keys on the peg by the door and leaving without really garnering a response.

While Kat drove she examined all the things about Charming that had never changed. Well there were a couple of new things here and there but for the most part it looked exactly the same. It was comforting, the familiarity. She pulled in front of a diner and snatched her sunglasses off before entering, the bell over the door ringing alerting everyone inside to her arrival. Behind the counter there was a snotty looking blonde who couldn't have been more than seventeen, smacking on a piece of gum.

"What can I get for you?"

"Three turkey and ham sandwiches on rye, two Swiss clubs, and an egg salad."

She moved to the side so she wouldn't block the line for anyone else who approached the counter. She noticed the looks she was getting from a few individuals in the corner and the blonde behind the counter. She looked down at herself, nothing too out of the ordinary she didn't think. Jeans, sweater, boots, leather jacket. So she shrugged and waited for her order not noticing the tall good looking guy approaching her from behind. He actually tapped her on the shoulder.

"I haven't seen you in here before."

Really? She wasn't in a good enough mood to flirt-but a hot guy with kind words always did wonders for a girl's ego so she smiled politely.

"From here. Haven't been around in a while."

"I'm Daniel. I own Avery's Yard." She raised her eyebrows. The place didn't sound familiar. And as if noticing the puzzled look on her face he smiled, "It's relatively new here in comparison to everything else…"

"Oh sorry. I'm Kat," she told him, offering her hand. He took it. Had a nice handshake, she thought to herself. That was always a point in someone's favor.

"This might sound a bit awkward but do you waitress-bartend?"

"You're right. That is a bit awkward but I do. How'd you guess?"

"I can tell. I have a good eye for that sort of thing," he told her trying to keep his eyes on her face.

She bit her lip and resisted the urge to laugh. More like he had an eye for an attractive girl when he saw one. She tossed her hair over her shoulder feeling the rush of flirtation. She had missed this, the carefree and naughty side of her that home only seemed to bring out of her.

"Look I'm asking because we've got a position opening up."

"Oh that's interesting. But I don't know how long I'm going to be here."

"Kat," came a seductively suspicious voice from behind her. She turned around to see Jax stepping towards her, that possessive glare in his eyes sending a rush of warmth to every part of her that could and would get tingly. God, he was so hot when he got all territorial. But she mentally shook her head. No reason for him to get territorial when he had a girlfriend. That was the one thing they hadn't talked about last night. Tara. She'd like to know where she stood before she ended up doing something about that tingly feeling.

"Jax. You on break?"

"Yeah," he said more to Daniel than he did her, inching his arm around her waist and yanking her closer, "Aren't you the guy who owns that bar Avery's Yard?"

"Yeah," Daniel said looking him straight in the eye. Kat had to give him credit, he wasn't intimated by the cut or the Men of Mayhem patch Jax wore.

"Jax, this is Daniel. He was talking to me about a job, bartending."

She turned herself out of his embrace when the blonde behind the counter shouted that her order was ready. She didn't miss the way that the girl was eyeing Jax. He had that effect on women from six to sixty. The girl's eyes then turned a hard glare onto Kat and she shrugged. It wasn't like she could help it.

"Thanks for the job offer but like I said I don't know how long I'll be-."

"No worries. If you change your mind, swing by," he told her before leaving, not without giving Jax a quick once over.

Once again moving out of his embrace she made her way towards the door, with him hot on her heels. He didn't say anything and she knew he wanted to know about the job. Taking the job implied she was staying but honestly even with last night fresh on her mind, Kat didn't know if she had anything to stay for.

"So…are you going to do that every time you see a man talking to me? You don't have a monopoly on my conversation."

"That's what you think," he said quickly, earning a chuckle from the woman walking in tune beside him, "So…you going to take that job?"

"I don't know. Do I have a reason to," she asked, stopping in front of him suddenly. He stepped closer, reaching up with his hand to touch her face before whispering that him and Tara were finished. He watched her close her eyes and the feeling of relief he felt leave her body. He felt something inside of him crack. He had full intention of telling her about the pictures someone had delivered to Tara but now wasn't the time. Not with this fragile thing between them. He needed time, time to completely bring her walls down so she could be with him the way she once was. Completely trusting. He needed her to trust him if he was going to get to the bottom of his. He would tell her later.

"I heard your boyfriend's gone."

"Yep. Sent me a text saying that he will be dropping my things off to one of my girlfriends."

"So that means we're both unattached."

"Yep. Unattached and unavailable."

"Mom's cooking tonight. Be a good time for you to meet Abel," he said without meeting her gaze.

He wasn't sure when the best time would be for this. When he had told her about his son he felt her stiffen in his arms. But he needed for this to happen if things were going to progress, if they were going to rebuild. When she didn't reply he looked up at her and she looked away before looking down. He knew she was fighting not to cry and so he resisted the need to hold her and let her breathe. She took a deep breath before looking up at him with a small smile and saying, "I'd like that."

"Good. Be there at seven."

"Okay," she said stopping at her car, "but head's up, my mother's back in town."

**NOTE: Next chapter we have a bit more emotional Kat/Jax interaction and…lemons.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Hi," Kat said more to Abel than to Jax when he opened the door.

"Hey. How you doing Mary?"

"I'm well Jax. How about yourself?"

"Likewise," he told her with a smirk before stepping aside to allow the Winston family entrance into his mother's home. If the giggles and the cooing and the outstretched arms were any indication, Abel had already taken a liking to the woman he had just met. Smart man, his father thought. She took off her leather jacket, wearing a tight fitting but comfortable and soft knit sweater underneath. She sent Jax a small reserved smile before blinking. He gave her a look that said he understood.

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Um…I-I think…yeah, sure," she told him softly. He smiled and handed Abel to her gently, noticing that her arms were shaking slightly as she hugged his son to her chest before sliding him over to prop him up on her hip. She looked him over, scrunching her nose in a playful frown. Abel smiled and a hand shot up to touch her face. "God Jax. He's beautiful. He's going to be a handsome one, like his father."

"Aw thanks."

"Yeah, relish in that compliment. It's going to be the last one for a while. You always had a big ego."

"Jax," Clay called, gathering his step-son's attention and then calling him over with a nod.

"Go ahead. I'll be in the kitchen."

Seeing Kat with a baby on her grandkid on her hip gave Gemma a serious case of emotional déjà vu. But it also caused a smile on her face. With that bitch Tara out of the way and that preppy douche Kat had bravely brought home out of the picture things could go back to being the way things needed to be. Jax needed Kat. She understood the club and she was the only one who might be able to talk some sense into him and get him from reading his father's book. There was a reason why the man was dead. And if Jax was going to lead SAMCRO one day, if Abel was going to lead SAMCRO one day they would both need a woman who kept everything in order and hell Gemma wasn't going to be around for forever. She had hoped since Kat was eight years old and told her she was going to wear Jax's patch that she would end up assuming her role one day. Despite the crap situation that was Donna's death and the ATF on their backs, things might be looking up.

"I see you've met baby Abel."

"Yeah. He's gorgeous Gemma. He looks so much like-," she ended her sentence and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Oh baby girl. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine," she lied and Abel sensed the pain coiling in her body. He squirmed, unnerved by it but she smiled and rocked him a bit. He calmed, enjoying the attention.

"Looks like Abel's half in love with you already."

"Well. I like to think I'm lovable."

"Still unavailable," Jax said from behind her teasingly, referring to her comment earlier in the day when she had been leaving the diner. She rolled her eyes and Gemma smiled. It was returning, the usual banter between them.

"Unavailable? Yeah well there seems to be this biker who thinks I belong to him. In fact Gemma, a guy was offering me a job today and said biker stepped in and got kind of hostile-as if I'm not allowed to speak to any man but him."

"Well sometimes I just can't help myself," he said laughing, approaching her and sliding Abel out of her embrace. His son protested with a loud cry and was scooped out of his arms by Kat. He quirked his eyebrows at her and she laughed. He hadn't heard that sound in a long time. She had always had a beautiful laugh and this was one was void of reserve and teasing and sarcasm. This laugh was happy.

"Looks like your boys tired," Gemma said looking at Kat who immediately tensed up, "Why don't you go put him down for dinner?"

Wordlessly, Kat slid Abel back into Jax's arm and then walked back into the corner of the pantry before crossing her arms over her chest. Jax shot his mom a look-a look that said what the fuck? She winced and soundlessly sighed but her knew she was right. If Kat was going to stick around she had to get used to Abel. She looked so small and fragile and scared to death standing like that in the corner. It was hard, hard seeing her so, so…broken. Jax looked at his mother pleadingly and she conceded, taking Abel upstairs to lay him down to sleep.

If anybody had walked into the kitchen now. If anybody hadn't known the couple standing there alone, they would've imagined they had had a very intense argument. As he was standing a distance away from her, his cut over his hoodie. He leaned his head and looked up at the ceiling, running his hand over his face before groaning. She was standing in the corner, looking completely dejected. Quickly though he rebounded, remembering that last time the distance had killed them both. He crossed the kitchen in a few steps and took both of her hands in his own, unfolding her arms across her chest before leading her outside into the backyard.

It was cold. Her leather jacket was back inside the house. She wrapped her arms around herself, partially for warmth, partially because she needed the distance-to keep up at least some kind of pretense. A pretense that said if he gave her a moment she could compose herself. He reached out to her, bringing her into a hug but she pushed him away. He tried once more only to have her him shove at him again…hard. The third time he learned from his mistake and grabbed her by the arms, shoving her back into the wall of the house and crushing her body into an embrace. She fought at him, shoving, pushing her shoulder into his chest to try to get him off of her, punching and hitting at him. But it didn't last long. Soon she was a mess, sobbing into his hoodie. And he held her close. It wasn't until the sobbing died down a bit that he realized what she had been saying into his chest.

"I'm sorry. God I'm so sorry."

"Shh Kitten. What are you sorry for?"

"It's my fault. It's my fault," she told him loudly.

Okay, what? That was what this was about? She thought it was her fault. Leah's death. As much as he wanted to blame somebody then, it had never once crossed his mind to blame Kat.

"Baby, listen to me. What happened to Leah, that was an accident. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault."

"I should've gotten up. I should've checked on her. But I was just-."

He didn't need her to explain. He had been there. Leah had been sick with an ear infection. Had spent the past nights before restless with the pain. And he had been out on a run. When he had come home, Leah had been asleep. Asleep for the first time in two or three days without waking up screaming in need of another dose of medication. After a long bout of sex they had both fallen asleep, sated. The one time Kat hadn't woken up to check on their daughter had been the night she had died.

"No baby. What happened to Leah…just happened."

It was hard saying that, hearing that. It was hard being told that there was no reason why your perfectly healthy child went to sleep one night and suddenly just stopped breathing. It was hard not knowing why such a beautiful soul had been ripped away from them before she had even had a chance to grow. He thanked God everyday for Abel. That he was here. That he was healthy. That he was so full of life. Sometimes though when he looked at his son he saw his baby girl.

He kissed Kat's forehead and hooked his finger underneath her chin, bringing her eyes up to look at him. Tears were still pooling there and her lips were red and trembling. Without any hesitation, he brought his lips down to her and she met him in a soft kiss. She sighed and fell back into the wall, opening her mouth and allowing his tongue entrance. When he needed air he pulled back and touched his forehead to hers, "Kat. I don't want to take advantage of you. You're emotional and-."

"Please Jax. My body needs this. I need this," she whispered to him huskily, pressing her hips to his.

He didn't need to be told twice. He ground himself into her hips and shot out a hand to latch onto her thigh. Her hands went past his cut, underneath his hoodie so her nails could scratch over the skin there, the remembered feel of his cut body causing her to let out a slow debilitating moan.

"God Kat, I loved that sound," he whispered against her neck, moving his hand adeptly to unbuckle her jeans and slide them down her body. As the chill hit her skin she felt her mind tell her that they were in Gemma and Clay's backyard. That her entire family, his family were inside. That it was freaking cold. And then one long finger dipped inside of her and she moaned again, evoking a smile from Jax. _Oh God_. She didn't care about being in the backyard or about the people inside and suddenly it really wasn't that cold anymore, "Can you make that sound again for me Kitten," he teased her.

Jax flicked his thumb over her clit and she almost came undone, rewarding him with that sound he so loved. He closed his eyes. God he missed this about her. She was always so responsive to his touch, even before she really know what it all meant or what she liked, she had had never been shy.

"Is there something I can do for you baby?"

She didn't answer. Fucking stubborn woman, he thought to himself before slapping one of her ass cheeks.

"Oh God," she bit out, a rush of wetness replying to him more than she ever would aloud. She liked this game, loved being stubborn when they were getting intimate.

"Kat? Is there something you would like to ask me," he asked again before slapping her ass. He wanted her like this, hot, shaking, needy, begging. Even when she had been a novice, sex with Kat had always been an experience. Something deeply spiritual rooted in with the physical. He teased her clit again, happy with the uncontrollable bucking her hips were doing.

"Please-."

"Please what?"

"Oh my God," she was trembling now, put one hand on the wall to keep herself standing and the other she used to grab onto his hair to bring his mouth down for one more hard and torturous kiss, "Jax, are you going to fuck me or not," she asked him impishly with a sinful smile.

He groaned and undid his belt and in one quick seamless action he was inside her. Damn, it felt good. Warm and tight and on some deep emotional level, it felt like home.

"Fuck Jax," she told him with a smile, kissing him again. Gently at first he began to move. Wanting to relish the feeling of being inside of her for a while but she tugged on his hair silently asking him to take things up a notch. He complied, quickening his thrusts. And the sounds she was making, she was making it hard for him to keep his orgasm at bay. He wanted for them to come together. Wanted for this to be more than just sex. He knew her body needed this but he also knew she needed it. Not because she had told him. And he didn't know how he knew, he just knew.

"Oh God. Harder. Harder," she instructed him, bringing her hand between them to tease her clit. At the sight of her slender fingers rubbing across that little button he got rough. His thrusts harder, deeper, faster, if the nail biting into his hand was any clue just a little bit painful. But he knew Kat. She liked a bit of pain, "Fuck," she shouted loudly as he felt her convulse around him before she began to move, her hips gyrating around him to coax his own release from his cock.

"Kat," he called out getting that familiar sensation at the base of his spine before his orgasm overtook her. His own orgasm, cajoled hers, lengthening it. And she smiled at him before kissing him, "I-."

"If you two are done fucking in the cold-the brisket's ready," his mother called out from the kitchen door.

Her head fell into his chest as they both went into a fit of laughter, helping each other pull their jeans back up. Jax wrapped both arms around her waist and entered the house behind her. Gemma, Mary, and Luann were in the kitchen. Luann smiled at the couple and said, "I'm surprised you guys held out this long."

"Hey! I was engaged," Kat shouted out jokingly at Luann before remembering that her mother was in the room. Mary gasped and looked past her daughter's shoulder at Jax before frowning and picking up a bowl of something to take into the dining room.

"Well that's going to be a long conversation back home," Kat said, making a move to step away from Jax and help Gemma and Luann but he pulled her closer and tighter against him, whispering into her ear.

"Come home with me," he asked, nibbling on her ear. She leaned back into him and sighed.

"With you? And Abel?"

"You know you're going to end up there eventually."

"Jax, a lot's changed-. We're different-."

"Not that different, if five minutes ago was a clue"

She chuckled, "We'll see how dinner goes."

The couple entered the dining room and Kat was careful to avoid the knowing looks and glances her and Jax were getting. She sat down across from her brother and her mother, Jax's arm thrown across her shoulders before Tig let out a low whistle.

"Could hear you past Gemma and Mary yelling baby girl," he said, enjoying watching Kat blush. But she ignored it and propped her head up on her hand.

"What can I say Tig. I was enjoying myself," she said seriously, laughter erupting from the table. Kat didn't turn to look at her mother. But maybe if she had she would noticed that outside the window behind Mary, a car had just parked.


	10. Chapter 10

Waking up naked in Jax's bed was surreal. Kat threw her arm over her eyes and groaned. Sure she was happy but she was also worried. This couldn't be healthy. Jumping back into each other's lives so fast as if nothing had happened. Four years had happened. Things had changed. Didn't they need to…she didn't know. She loved Jax. Always had. And since her return had known she would never really be capable of loving anybody else. But…was that good enough?

An arm settled itself around her waist as kisses peppered her arms then her shoulders then her neck. He sighed contentedly with a soft kiss to her lips. When he looked down at her she couldn't help but smile. Her eyes drifted down to the Abel on his chest and her fingers lifted up to trace it. He grabbed her hands and linked their fingers together, bringing both of her arms above her bed and settling himself on top of her and between her legs.

"Good morning," he smiled. A smile that spoke of everything he was feeling right now. Lust. Happiness.

"God, you're insatiable," she joked. At a faint sound she looked towards the baby monitor on the nightstand, pulling herself up and out of his arms, "Abel's awake," she whispered.

"Good. Can you get him up for me? I need a shower."

"So do I," she snapped.

She wasn't an idiot. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to ease her back into the role she had before she left. And that's what she was afraid-troubled by. She didn't know if she was ready. Ready to be his Old Lady again, to be Abel's mother. Sure it had been four years but sometimes it felt like yesterday.

"Kitten," he started, tracing her face with his fingers, "it's okay. I trust you," and then he gave her another kiss on the lips before getting out of bed and heading towards the shower. Kat sighed, frustrated, and ran her fingers through her hair gripping tightly at the tangled locks and stared at the baby monitor. She ripped the covers back and walked towards the nursery, breathing speeding up as she went.

Entering the room, she felt tears again but she quickly sobered herself and went to Abel, leaning over his crib and with a watery smile told him good morning. "How are you buddy?" He giggled and grabbed at her hair with strong hands when she laid him down on the changing table. He was entranced by it, wrapping the thick warm locks around his fingers and tugging firmly. Like father, like son she thought to herself scandalously remembering Jax's firm grip on her hair throughout the night. Once she had him changed she picked him up and headed towards the kitchen.

And that's how Jax found them when he came out of the shower, hair still wet, shirtless, barefoot in a pair of comfy sweatpants-Abel slurping greedily at a bottle while his girl rocked him in her arms. Something warm rose up inside of him at the sight and he couldn't help but smile. His thoughts were interrupted by his ring tone. He frowned and pulled it out of his pocket, growling into the phone.

"Yeah?"

"_Guess you and baby girl must've been busy. Hate to interrupt brother."_

"What is it Tig?"

"_Church. Thirty minutes. Got a problem with the Mayans."_

He stilled. And his thoughts immediately went to Donna.

"What is it?"

"Just…"

"Club business?"

"Yeah," he swallowed, trying to give her an impassive look. He never really could. With Wendy and Tara it was easy but Kat she saw straight through it. Abel finished his bottle and she picked him up to burp him, coming towards him, so close that their chests were touching.

"What else is it?"

He couldn't tell her. Couldn't tell her that Donna's death was not a hit by the Mayans. Couldn't tell her that Tig and Clay and SAMCRO had been the ones behind it. Couldn't tell her that anyone had ever believed that Opie had been a rat for the ATF. She loved SAMCRO, she loved her brother, and he had just got her back. He didn't need this on her shoulders. He moved his hand up to cup her face and touched her forehead with his.

"Do you love me?"

"Jax," she said warningly but he shook his head. Telling her now was not the time to dance around the subject. He needed a straight answer.

"Kitten. Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Good. I won't lie to you. Things are shitty right now with the ATF on our asses and everything else but I'm going to make sure you don't get hurt."

"Why? I've only been here a week," she asked him stepping away from him, beginning to close up on him again.

"Because I love you. And shit you've been in love me since you were three," he joked, "or so the story goes."

He smiled. Remembering the day she told him that. She had been fifteen. They had been out by the streams and she had been sitting in his lap, his arms wrapped around her. She had gotten that faraway look in her eyes and he nuzzled her neck asking her what she was thinking about.

"_What is this Jax? This thing between us. Because I think you should know where I stand. You do know I've been in love with you all my life? Ever since I was three and you picked me up after I had fallen off my tricycle and put a band-aid on my knee."_

He had made the decision then, to keep his hands off of her until her eighteenth birthday. Honestly he hadn't known how he succeeded, she hadn't made it easy for the first couple of months. But eventually she stayed away from him, avoided him until that night. The night his mother had thrown her a birthday party. She had shown up to her party in a lace black dress that left nothing to the imagination. Within an hour he had her upstairs in his old bedroom. He smiled at the memory.

"You are suck a jackass," she told him, slapping him painfully, "Get going. I'm going to head in to talk to that Daniel guy about a job."

"Are you taking Abel with you," he asked her. He watched her look at his son and back to him before giving Abel one last long look before nodding.

XXXXXXXX

Jax pulled into Teller-Morrow, his early contentment died down by suspicion and anger. He didn't know what this meeting was going to be about. But he had a feeling it was going to drive the wedge between him and Clay deeper. Once he entered the room, Piney and Opie gave him a look that had Tig smirking.

"How's my sister," Opie asked him in a tone that wasn't exactly friendly. Jax had a quizzical expression when he sat down but lost it before replying.

"She's fine. Why don't you call her?"

"Because I want the truth."

"She went to go see about a job at the place Avery's Yard."

"Really? So she's staying?"

"Yeah. Seems like it."

"And she's going to live with you?"

"What's everyone freaking out about? We knew what was going to happen once she showed up," Tig said, "I mean hell, no offense Ope, if your sister didn't want to be here even Jax couldn't make her stay."

It was an odd day when Tig started making sense. And he was right. No one could make Kat do anything she didn't want to do. Even when she had been small it had been a losing battle to try to get her to do anything she hadn't already made up her mind to do. But putting a stop to the conversation of his step-son's love life, Clay banged the gavel bringing the meeting into session.

"We're here because our Sgt. At Arms has made a discovery," Clay said opening the floor for Tig to speak. He turned serious, bracing his arms on the table and giving Opie a look that spoke of both remorse and retribution, "We found the fucker who killed Donna."

"Then what the hell are we sitting around this table for," Opie asked and Tig smiled sadistically.

"Chibs. Go with them," Clay said raising the gavel to end the session but Jax interrupted.

"I'm going too," he told Clay.

Step-son and step-father glared each other down, changing the mood of the room as each one observed. This was nothing new, Jax challenging Clay. But it was getting to a point where something was going to have to be done about it. However, this time Clay acquiesced. This time. He adjourned the meeting and went to find his wife at the garage. She was filing. She greeted him with a swift kiss and noticing the tension racking his body she frowned, "What's wrong?"

"It's Jax. You need to talk to him."

"I have a better idea," she answered back, the wheels in her head already turning.

"Kat?"

Gemma just shrugged and smiled at her husband. She loved her son. She did. He was much like his father-complicated. But those complications had gotten John Teller killed.

XXXXXXX

Kat got out of her car and pulled Abel into her arms. Dressed in tight fitting black jeans, stiletto black ankle boots, a dark blue button down, and her signature leather jacket she attracted attention. With those pouty red lips and dark curls bouncing with every sashaying step she took it was hard not to. She pulled her sunglasses off, entering Avery's Yard, there was a small lunch crowd in and she approached one of the waitresses who didn't look busy.

"Hi. I'm looking for Daniel."

"You here about the job?"

"Yeah."

"Okay cool. Stay here, I'll go get him."

Abel was looking around enthusiastically and she smiled, picking him up to toss him in the air. He laughed and she smiled, loving the feel of a child in her arms. She was having a good ole time until she heard a familiar greeting that had her biting her lip to keep her temper in check.

"Well, well, well. If isn't little Katy Winston."

"David Hale," she told him, turning around fully to face him, "still a dick I see."

"Still a bitch I see."

She rolled her eyes. God, if Abel wasn't in her arms and if she wasn't here looking for a job she would give this prick-and then she noticed the Deputy badge he was wearing. Oh for fucks sake. David Hale was a freaking cop now? As if he wasn't already a douche.

"Who's kid you got there?"

"This is Abel. Jax's son."

"Oh right, I heard he'd been released from the hospital."

She gave a quick look over her shoulder. Where had that waitress disappeared to? Was she going to Mexico to retrieve her prospective boss? Damn.

"I'm surprised you and Jax are back on such amiable terms considering what happened."

She stilled instantly, "You fucker. You had better explain yourself."

"What," and then quickly realizing his mistake his sneer softened. He cleared his throat before continuing, "I didn't mean your little girl. I meant Donna."

"What do you mean you meant Donna?"

Donna had been taken out in a hit by the Mayans. Why would her and Jax's amiable terms be dependent on something like that? She frowned and David Hale noticed it. He cursed. In his opinion little Katy Winston had always been too good for SAMCRO but that hadn't stopped Jax Teller from taking advantage of a teenage infatuation and exploiting into whatever sick obsessive and dependent relationship it had been, saddling her with a child when she had been too young and then serving time for gun smuggling while she raised said child. And now she was back in town and back into the same routine. And Teller was exploiting her again. He knew the truth. After all the time he claimed to love this woman why hadn't he told her that SAMCRO had been the one to take out Donna in a botched attempt to kill Opie for being a rat? She deserved to know the truth.

"Why don't you ask Jackson about that," he planted before turning on his heels and leaving, forgetting to order the food he came for originally. Kat watched him leave torn between wanting to know what the hell was going on and forgetting every single word he had just said to her-after all David Hale was a douche.

"Friends with SAMCRO and the Charming PD? Doesn't that seem like a conflict of interests?"

She spun around suddenly and speared Daniel with a look before softening remembering that she was here for a job. He noticed it and smiled.

"You've got a temper on you don't you?"

"It comes and goes," she shrugged, "That job still open."

"Yeah it's still open. But I feel the need to tell you that I don't want any trouble in my bar-."

"You don't have to worry about that. Jax can be-well, I'll handle it."

"So you and this Jax character," he asked, motioning to the child on her hip.

"It's a long story. When can I start," she asked abruptly.

"Tonight. Be here at seven."


	11. Chapter 11

"So I'm guessing that you guys found the Mayan who killed Donna," Kat asked nonchalantly, pulling on a pair of tight fitting jeans and looking back at Jax through the mirror. She saw him tense and he stopped bouncing the baby, instead bringing him in close and hanging on tightly. She watched that cool façade come down over his face like a mask and that's when she knew. Knew that David Hale, even though he was a dick, knew something she didn't know-and wasn't supposed to know. She had been buying her time, waiting a couple of weeks before asking this question.

"Actually, we did."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"It must've," he paused before letting his eyes roam over her naked upper half and down to her ass and her legs being hugged tight by the dark denim, "slipped my mind."

"Don't even go there Jackson Teller. You cannot distract me with sex."

She thought back to her conversation with Gemma. _"Jax and Clay aren't exactly getting along." _Which in Gemma speak meant that things were going straight to hell. Things were shitty with the ATF, Donna's murder was suspicious, and suddenly Clay and Jax were at odds. It didn't take a rocket scientists to figure out maybe things were just a little bit connected. And knowing the MC like she did and knowing both Jax and Clay as well as she did her spidey senses were definitely tingling.

"Really? It's worked before-."

"Not tonight. I gotta get to work and I will not be late…again," she told him reaching for an off the shoulder cut off black Nirvana t-shirt.

"Do I need to escort you to work," he asked, looking at the exposed skin between her top and her jeans, singular eyebrow raising a bit.

"Nope. But I do need you to tell me what exactly is going on between the club and the ATF. Why the fuck David Hale was throwing out bait about my sister-in-law's murder, and why your mom asked me to talk to you about your relationship with Clay. I'll give you time to come up with something acceptable while I'm at work."

Jax watched Kat leave out the door and picking his son up looked Abel in the face and said, "We are so fucked." Ever since Kat walked back into his life, the guilt had compounded and was now eating him alive. Lying to her had never worked to his advantage and quite honestly Kat had been the only person he had never been able to lie to-at least well. He knew this conversation was coming. She was too smart not to begin connecting the dots.

Bartending was something she was good at. She loved the rowdiness, she loved the drunks who came in with entertaining problems-and she happened to be exceptionally good at it. Ever since moving into Jax's place she had to stock the kitchen and once she started cooking, he expected it everyday. She smiled at the thought of it. It didn't bother her, she loved to cook. It was the only thing she didn't feel like she had to control. Bars, kitchens, car garages, and Jax's bed were the only places she felt extremely comfortable and relaxed in. Thinking of stocking up, she needed to call Alison and find out where the hell the rest of her stuff was. Some of it had come in but it had been almost six weeks now, there was no way Eric was still packing up her crap.

"Hey, you good," Daniel asked saddling up next to her behind the bar, cleaning out a few glasses.

"Yeah. I'm good. A lot on my mind."

"Everything well in paradise?"

She rolled her eyes. Daniel was an interesting guy, cool and laid back. And he wasn't interested in getting in her pants, which was good. She could use a friend who wasn't MC biased. He sort of reminded her of her brother, all quit protectiveness. And in jeans, a blue button down, and black boots he looked less polo guy and more like someone she could trust.

"Paradise is actually pretty damn amazing." _If you didn't count the fact that her boyfriend was keeping something from her._

"Somebody called for you today-some guy named Eric."

She stilled. Eric? What the hell was he doing calling Avery's Yard? How did he even know-she had told Alison, maybe it got mentioned in passing. She shrugged, wiping down some spilled beer and peanuts. A blonde came to the bar, signaling for two beers. She obliged, popping the caps and setting them down kind of harshly in front of her.

"Anybody you know?"

"Ex fiance," she told him biting her lip.

The expression on his face read shocked. She really didn't want to dump her emotional baggage on a new friend. And Daniel was fast becoming that.

"Wait a second-."

"Long story short. Me and Jax were together for four years. We broke up and I headed to Denver. But when my sister-in-law died I headed back home-."

"And to Jax. Sounds like he's the love of your life."

"It's been said," she told him on a smile.

When closing time rolled around Daniel practically kicked her out telling her to get back home to Jax and Abel, saying that he didn't need SAMCRO on his ass. She laughed at that, telling him he was already in their sights. The VP's girl did work for him. His parting words were, "Be safe. Seriously. And maybe you should, you know-not that I'm advocating any illegal or violent behavior-tell Jax about Eric and the mysterious phone call."

_Yeah right_, Kat thought. That was not a conversation she wanted to have. All it would take was one phone call to the Denver chapter and there it was, Eric was a news piece. She didn't need that kind of guilt on her conscience. She pulled her phone out and took a look at the clock, 2:45 before dialing Alison.

"_There had better be an amazing reason as why you're calling me while I was sleeping?"_

"Ali-how's Eric doing?"

"Um…he still hasn't dropped off all your stuff yet. God Kat I think you should talk to him. I really do, he took a leave of absence from work. And he's been MIA-."

"What?"

"Yeah. Gees Kat, I hope that this Jax guy is-."

Kat didn't hear the end of what Ali had to say because something struck her in the back of her head-hard. And she went down. Blinking quickly momentarily before she was struck again in the face and her eyes closed. She could hear Alison screaming on the other end of the line but she couldn't open her mouth to say anything-not with random fists coming towards her.

**A/N: Sorry guys. I've been seriously busy organizing stuff for National Food Day (which is October 24****th**** btw) and working on my senior project, and finishing up requirements for college graduation in May. Dear God, it's getting super real.**


	12. Chapter 12

Kat was an interesting chick. A good waitress. A damn good bartender. And she was excellent with her ex's kid. A strong woman who took shit from nobody. Jax was a lucky man-extremely lucky in fact. And he knew it too, if their first meeting had been any inclination. He knew what it had and he knew it came in some fucking nice packaging. A damn shame though that she belonged to SAMCRO. Daniel rolled his eyes. In some ways Kat was maybe a little too good for them. He wasn't completely oblivious to what the Sons were and what they did. And in the time she had been working for him he knew a little about her story. Tossing away sad thoughts, he hauled tonight's heavy bag of trash over his shoulder and made his way outside towards the dumpster in the parking lot. He wouldn't have seen it had he not been thinking about her. But he dropped the bag and ran towards her. Kat was lying in the parking lot, face down in the concrete, phone lying next to her hand. He reached for it and dialed two numbers. 911. And Jax Teller.

Jax was sitting at his kitchen table, watching his mother hold his son, shirtless in a pair of jeans. He sighed. How many times were they going to have this conversation?

"Look ma-just a heads up- I don't appreciate you going behind my back to my old lady asking her to talk to me about the situation with Clay."

Gemma sighed. Telling Kat about the tension between her son and her husband had been some risky shit. But she had to do it. She loved both men in her life with all the love she had in her heart. And she'd be damn if she let her son end up dead at the hands of her own husband.

"You're a complicated man Jax. And even though I'm your mother, I know Kat sometimes understands you better than I ever can. So yeah I asked her to talk some sense into you," she came closer to him, Abel on her hip, and grabbed her son by his chin, "You remind me so much of your father. He was a complicated man too. But his complications got him killed."

He looked at his mother. She was right about one thing. Kat knew him almost as well as his own mother did, better in some ways. Before he could respond though his prepay rang. It was Kat's number.

"What's up baby?"

"_This is Daniel Jax. Kat's on her way to St. Thomas."_

"What the fuck happened?"

Gemma watched her son's tense answering Kat call. Oh shit. Couldn't they ever have one moment of peace. Abel sensed the tension, getting antsy in her arms. She titled her head and watched as he moved around the house grabbing his hoodie, his cut, and the keys to his bike.

"Someone attacked Kat ma-she's at St. Thomas."

He slammed the door shut with that sentence. Rocking Abel in her arms she muttered a low fuck before grabbing her own cell and speed dialing Clay. Whoever that fucker was, well he was worse than dead.

Pulling off on his bike Jax felt a familiar rise up where Kat was concerned. Fear. When she was fifteen he had been afraid he would break her heart. When she was in that motorcycle accident and he had seen her laid eschew out on the highway he had been afraid he had killed her. When he found out she was pregnant he had been afraid he wouldn't be the father their kid deserved. When he had gotten locked up he had been afraid to leave her by herself. And then when she had left he had been afraid she would never come back. And now he had been secretly holding in a fear that she wouldn't stay. Now this. Now Kat was lying in St. Thomas and no matter how selfish it may be, he was secretly praying that she was lying there because of anything to do with him. But underneath that prayer he had a suspicion that it did have something to do with him. Like the pictures he had Juice look into that he didn't tell her about. He gripped his handlebars a little bit tighter before he saw the singular light of a bike approach behind him. He knew immediately that it was Clay and it did not comfort him-not in the slightest.

Four members of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original pulled into the St. Thomas parking lot. Followed by Opie and Piney in Opie's truck. And Gemma with Abel. Making their way through the emergency room, Jax led the pack practically frightening the petite nurse at the desk.

"Katherine Winston," Jax said gruffly.

The nurse's eyes were wide and she stared for a second when Gemma snapped her out of it, "Hey girlie! Where's Katherine Winston-."

"Jax," they heard a call from down the hallway. Jax turned to see Daniel and he looked pretty distressed, and no one missed the small amount of blood on his shirt.

"What the fuck happened Daniel," he yelled, Opie and Tig holding onto him for a second before they realized he wasn't going to pounce on the guy in the middle of the ER.

"I sent her home. When I came outside to dump some trash. She was laying on the concrete face down. It's pretty bad man."

"Do you have a clue who did it," Tig asked with the usual Sgt.-At-Arms tone of voice. Everyone recognized it. Even Daniel realized what it meant. Retaliation. Daniel looked down at the patch on Jax's cut-Vice President. He didn't see this ending well. But before he could answer the question or voice his opinion they were interrupted.

"Are you here for Katherine Winston?"

Jax turned to look at a small balding man in a white coat. He wore glasses on the tip of his nose and was holding a manila folder. But unlike the nurse at the front desk, he did not look intimidated in the least.

"Yeah," Jax whispered, steadily losing patience. He wanted to know where Kat was. He wanted to see her. And he was going to kill whoever the fuck put her here.

"Miss Winston sustained some pretty significant injuries. Blunt force to the back of hear head and significant beating to her face-she's being prepped for emergency surgery. The bones lining her eye socket were broken and the swelling was forcing them to penetrate the eye. It's a quick process. And she should be fine. She also sustained some damage to her ribs, broken and bruised. We have to correct those before surgery so she won't have any piercing of the lungs. To make it plain, someone beat the crap out of this woman. Now I need to speak to next of kin to discuss the risks of the surgery."

"I'm her brother," Opie said, "but Jax brother, you need to make this decision."

Jax nodded and stepped aside into a corner with the doctor. Daniel stood back and watched the members of SAMCRO huddle together in what looked like an impromptu meeting. The security guard was eyeing them suspiciously. And maybe he should because he had a feeling the only way this was going to end was in bloodshed.

When the doctor said quick procedure he thought he meant an hour. Apparently a quick surgery was meticulous enough for four and a half hours. So that's why slowly all the members of SAMCRO had filed into the waiting room. Gemma nudged Jax when she saw the doctor approaching. He had his eyes closed. But she knew he wasn't asleep. He couldn't be. Not when his soul was vexed-with fear and anger.

"Mr. Teller," the doctor said in a tired tone of voice, lacking a little of the arrogance and condescension he had first addressed them with, "The surgery was a success. Kat is-."

"Where the fuck is she," came a loud feminine voice from down the hall. Everyone turned towards the emergency room door. There was a tall feisty looking redhead standing at the front desk where the same nurse was looking bug eyed and completely out of her element. The girl just waved a shaky arm and pointed down the hall to the end of the waiting room. The woman turned and halted in her tracks before a smile broke out on her face and she approached the group-straight up to Jax.

"You must be Jax."

"And who are you," Gemma asked with ha hand on her hip.

"I'm Ali. Kat's best friend."

"I'm sorry how did you-," Gemma began suspiciously.

Ali watched the entire bunch stiffened. She rolled her eyes. She was tired, jet-lagged, worried, and he adrenaline rush had totally worn off. After hearing Kat being attacked on the phone she packed an emergency bag and grabbed a red eye out of Denver. As St. Thomas was the only hospital in Charming-she took a wild guess this is where she would be.

"I was on the phone with her when everything went down. And then again she is my best friend."

"Ali-Kat," Jax said with a nod.

"That's right," she smiled, "So what's the prognosis," Ali said turning to the doctor.

As the doctor rattled on about what Kat was probably feeling and the recovery time certain men in the waiting room were examining the new meat on the scene. Tall, thin and willowy but far from boyish in the generous curves she possessed. Pale alabaster skin that if you looked at closely enough you could see thin veins pumping blood-it was kind of sexy in a weird ethereal kind of way. A face that belonged in Vogue-regal cheekbones, aristocratic nose, plump pink lips, thickly lashed big green eyes, and red hair cut into some sort of cross between a pixie cut and a faux hawk. It figured the two most beautiful women almost anyone had really ever seen would be the best of friends.

Gemma followed the doctor to the room they had set Kat up in and Ali was about to follow as well when someone grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She turned around slowly, looking at Happy's fingers tighten around her arm. She smiled. _Damn this bitch has dimples_ and calmly asked him to let her go. She should've been afraid but either she was far from it or a damn good actress. And Happy who prided himself on being a good reader of people, could not tell which. Before Clay could speak she raised her hand and said, "Yes. I heard the attack. And yes the attacker did speak. But I hung up after I heard him. And yes I know exactly who it was. But can I go see my best friend before I help you commit murder?"

They watched her go and Tig let out a low whistle, "You know what I wouldn't expect Kat to be best friends with anything less-a hot piece of ass with a temper."

For some reason, Happy was bothered by Tig's statement.

Standing outside of Kat's hospital room Ali balled her hands into fists, manicured nails scraping the flesh. By then Jax had arrived. Closed the door and sat next to her. Gemma was standing beside her and she knew they all were watching, waiting for her to speak.

"It was Eric."

"Eric-," Gemma asked.

"As in her ex-boyfriend Eric. He never came back to Denver," she sighed. She watched the group tense, knew exactly where this was going. Tig hung back, ran his hand over his face. He knew it. Knew he should've killed that son of a bitch that day back in her hotel room.

"We, my brother Logan-Eric's best friend-and me just thought he was broken up about the break-up, maybe went to stay with his parents in Chicago for a while. I thought it was odd-Eric was always the responsible one. But then his mom called and asked us when the last time we had talked to him was. We told her we thought he was with them. She became frantic-said Eric hadn't talked to her in almost a month. At the time it was confusing as fuck but now…it makes sense. Kat was always telling me about small little things that struck her as weird. Like she would come home and a window she thought she closed before she left would be open. Or small little things would be misplaced. Now it makes perfect sense. He's been here the whole time. Stalking her. Waiting. Eric has a brother. Served time for assault and armed robbery. We always thought he was the black sheep of the family. But there was something about Eric-meticulous, control freak, he's perfect stalker material. During Kat's assault the attacker sounded demented, angry, it wasn't until he called her Kate that I knew. Eric was the only person who ever called her by that."

She was not going to mention that he called her a biker whore. Or that he had tried to rape her, yelling at her to call him Jax and that Kat had laughed when he couldn't get it up and so he had beat her some more. Some of those details were better left out.

"You know Eric-where do you think he is?"

"Well he's obviously psycho but not stupid. He's probably holed up somewhere close, isolated, and big enough to hide what he's been up to. Because if I know Eric he's got some sort of layout of everything Kat does. That's how he figured out when and where to get to her. When you guys and nobody else was around. I'm thinking something like warehouses, barns-you guys got anything like that?"

She wasn't surprised when they didn't answer. But Happy crossed his arms over his chest before speaking, "How do you figure that?"

"I've got a PhD in psychology. It's my best educated guess."

"A PhD- how old are you?"

"Twenty-six. PhD? How did you meet Kat?"

"Graduate school does not pay for itself. I happen to be a damn good bartender."

When Jax finally let himself out of Kat's room, he took a deep breath. She was going to be okay. She looked awful but she was going to be okay. She wasn't awake yet. But she would be soon. He needed to be strong, strong in front of his brothers, but right now he felt anything but. He felt rage and pain and hatred but he couldn't exactly determine if it was directed towards himself or whoever did this. When he stepped in front of his mom, she kissed him, "She told us who did it. It was Eric-the ex." He nodded, stepping past his mother towards his step-father. Clay had one word. Church.

Ali watched the Sons exit the hospital-all except the two prospects they left behind. And then there was her and Gemma. She turned, Gemma's hand on her hip staring her down.

"Look I'm not here to cause trouble. She's my best friend, pretty much the only sister I've got. I had to be here. Then again I feel responsible. How could I not know Eric was a crazy son of a bitch."

"Yeah well I didn't notice either-and apparently neither did baby girl."

Gemma watched the girl in the black skinny jeans, calf length boots, white v-neck, and dark cropped blazer cross her arms over her chest. She was attractive but she looked like a piece of candy-one of those that was hard on the outside but sweet and soft on the inside.

"Yeah she never would've put up with it if she had. The first night Kat came to work, this guy grabbed her around the waist, she took him down with a knee to his crotch and a right to his jaw. My brother gave her a raise. That was four years ago. We've been best friends ever since."

"She worked for your brother," Gemma asked, intrigued. She had heard Kat mention life in Denver a few times. Her job as a waitress and bartender. Even Ali. But she had still even been a little bit curious.

"Yeah, family business. He took over the bar after our dad died. He helped put me through grad school-in return I had to work my ass off. Being the product of Irish immigrants and all that."

"Irish huh?"

"Yeah. Ya know Kat told me about you. Said you were like Queen Bitch or something. But I imagine it's a good thing you are. If you hadn't been who would've taught Kat to be who she is. And she's gotta be if she's going to stay here in Charming, be with Jax, and be the President's Old Lady one day right? If she's going to get over what Eric did to her."

"I never knew Kat to be a victim," Gemma said stepping closer to this girl she suddenly felt an affinity towards.

"Yeah. I certainly don't expect her to start now."

The sun was beginning to come up over Charming. And in the creep of that little time where it was both night and day, several members of the Sons of Anarchy crept around a red barn on a piece of Oswald land. They burst in, guns aimed and ready to shoot at any and everything. In the middle of the floor there is an air mattress and next to it a duffel bag. Scattered around the room, pinned to old beams and posts, and even a random canvas are pictures. Pictures of Kat. Gemma. Jax. Tig. Opie. Piney. Clay. Even Kenny and Ellie. This was one sick fucker.

"Is this what I think it is," Juice asked.

"Yeah, it is. A hit list," Happy stated.

Juice moved around the barn and noticed a plain white envelope among the hay. It had Jax's name written on it.

"Hey," he told his VP, waving the envelope in front of it. Jax holstered his gun and looked around the room to Opie before opening it. In it was a singular silver earring. And it had Kat's blood on it. He dropped it to the ground, closing his eyes in frustration before pulling out the letter folded inside.

_Dear Jax,_

_Welcome to my rendition of hide and seek. Dr. A is in town. Maybe I should add her to my pretty collection. Ready or not-here I come._

He handed the letter to Happy, who read it calmly, "The fucker is taunting us. Knows Ali is in town. He's probably five steps ahead of us."

"I'm going to kill him with my bare hands."

**A/N: Heads up everyone. I've got about eight chapters left before I'm finished with this story. For those of you who are checking out We Are Everything We Need I'm going to wait to continue posting until I finish Same Song, Different Story-as they are interconnected as far as characters go.**


	13. Chapter 13

"Baby girl, I let you down again. When you left I should've tried my damned hardest to make you stay. I should've put a bullet in that fucker Eric's head as soon as I thought he would be a problem. And then there's Donna. I am so sorry. I don't know how this happened. Everything's falling to shit baby girl," Tig whispered to Kat's sleeping figure, leaning over her and pushing back a string of hair from her forehead.

Seeing that hit list in that barn was just another slap in the face reminding the Sergeant-At-Arms that he had fucked up once again. And now because he had fucked up the whole club was practically at stake. Jax was barely contained. As soon as they found that prick he knew his VP wouldn't hesitate. It stung a bit that he, whose job it was to protect the club, had hesitated. That day weeks ago when they had got into a shootout with some Niners. He had hesitated-almost got Clay killed. Once again Jax had to step in. And then there was the guilt he felt when Ope had practically desecrated that body by carving SOA into his stomach. Once again Jax had to step in and deal with the repercussions of Opie's psychotic behavior that had been brought out-unknowingly-by Tig's actions. And now this. Kat, baby girl, lying in the hospital. Beaten. Badly, badly beaten. He sighed and then took a seat into the chair next to her, scratching at his jaw before popping the muscles in his neck and stretching. He looked up at a rustling noise from the bed, Kat was scooting her way up the bed, wincing, and the only reason he didn't help was because he knew she would pin him with a look that could kill.

"Tig?"

"Yeah baby girl. How you feeling?"

"Like shit. How long you been sitting right there?"

"A couple of minutes," he shrugged. She nodded.

"How long have I been here?"

"About two days. Jax actually just left."

"To go where," she asked, already kind of having an inkling to where this conversation was headed. When Tig didn't answer, she sighed even though it hurt her ribs like a bitch "So tell me-."

"We know Eric's the one who put you here. Courtesy of your friend Ali. Gotta' tell you baby girl that one's been giving a couple of guys a run for their money."

Kat pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. She was glad Ali was here. She really was. But Ali alone for two days in Charming and worried for her was not going to be good. Ali was going to be frantic. Oh she would pretend like she wasn't and that everything was easy peasy and that she was a hard ass bitch but deep down Ali knew her best friend was worried out of her fucking mind. And when Ali was worried she sometimes did stupid things. And with a club full of bad ass bikers do stupid things with she knew where this was going. Heartbreak. Even though she wasn't sure which side of the fence it would land on.

"Did you find him?"

"Not exactly."

"Not exactly? Either you did or you didn't."

"Look baby girl as much as I would love to tell you, you need to take it up with your old man."

"Did Jax tell you to tell me that?"

"Yep. And I am not getting between my VP and his old lady-even for you Kat," he told her with a smirk, standing up and giving her a brief peck on the cheek before leaving. When the door closed. He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. And he didn't see Kat staring at him through the window.

Watching Tig go Kat leaned back in her bed and sighed a slow, almost incomprehensible "Fuck" before reaching for the phone next to her bed and putting in two numbers. Ali. And Jax. Then settled back into bed for a quick nap before the two of them came storming in with orders about her well being and la-di-da bullshit. When the door opened, she slowly opened her eyes with a smile only to come face to face with a badge.

"Oh for fucks sake, what is it Hale?"

"I'm here in an official capacity to talk to you about your assault."

"What assault," she asked going into official old lady mode. She wasn't stupid. She spilled to the cops, the second Eric's body turned up (and it would, there was no question about that), Hale would be on her doorstep with questions about her old man. And strong as she was, she wasn't sure she could watch her old man get locked up again. The first time had been hard enough.

"Cut the crap Kat. Doctor's said someone beat the shit out of you. I would like to know who."

"Well it was dark being practically three in the morning. Could've been anybody. Could've been you for all I know."

"Hey! Are you really badgering a victim who just went through a traumatic assault two days ago. Anything you get will be inadmissible because any psychologist in their right mind will call into her question her mental state at the time you questioned her. Not to mention the head trauma she sustained that caused surgery. Why don't you wait the official recuperation time before you start making stupid accusations. Because like she said, it's just as possible it could've been you at three in the morning," came the indignant voice of the feisty redhead at the door with Jax behind her.

"Who are you?"

"Dr. Alison Farrell. And in my professional opinion Kat isn't fit to answer such questions right now. Especially since she just woke up ten minutes ago."

Hale looked her up and down. Knee length floral print dress, leather jacket, cowboy boots. No one in the room missed it. Ali crossed her arms over her chest and asked, "Do you need to see my card?"

"No. I don't. I think I can take your word for it," he answered with a snake's smile.

Kat watched Ali try not to roll her eyes and subdued her chuckle before patting the small space on the bed next to her and gesturing to her best friend. Hale turned to Jax and gritted his teeth, "You watch yourself Teller."

"Always," Jax answered with a smile of his own. This one, a little bit more dangerous than Hale's.

When the door slammed behind him, Ali just rolled her eyes, "Please, please tell me that prick is not an example of Charming's finest."

"Nope. He's just a prick," Kat asked, "You flew all the way out here from Denver?"

"Duh. What kind of sister would I be if I didn't?"

"So…what have you been up to the two days I've been passed out here."

Kat watched the sheepish expression pass across Ali's face and the blush that rose to her cheeks.

"More like who," Jax said plopping down in the chair Tig had been sitting in thirty minutes ago.

"Jackson Teller," Ali yelled, causing Jax to chuckle.

"Well I'm glad you two are getting along."

"Don't be fooled Kitten. She's annoying as hell."

She smiled. Good. She had been worried at first. Ali could be a lot to handle. But now that they had met they seemed to get along just fine, the banter was a clear indication to how much Ali approved. Not that she had been completely worried. Ali's family had never been part of the straight and narrow. Which was what always surprised her about Logan's friendship with Eric. Apparently they had met in college and had somehow managed to become and stay close friends-despite Logan's family ties to some not so legal activities.

"I'm going to grab some coffee. And then I'll be back for some girl talk. This'll give you plenty of time to talk to your old man. He's been pitiful as fuck for the past two days Kat," Ali said bounding off the bed and laughing at the playful brotherly shove Jax gave her.

"You seem to like her," Kat said once the door was shut.

"Yeah. She's a handful. I can see why you two are so close."

"Hmmm…now who else likes her?"

"Happy," he replied nonchalantly.

"Happy," Kat asked raising her eyebrows, "First of all she's been fucking Happy. Already? It's been two days. Second, Happy doesn't like anybody. And thirdly, you've been letting my sister fuck Happy? Juice. Okay. Chibs and Tig maybe. But Happy."

"She seems to be handling it just fine. Told my mom she wasn't looking to be anyone's old-."

"You don't know Ali."

"What's that-," Jax asked turning serious at maybe some kind of threat to the club.

"No, she can totally be trusted. I'd trust her with Abel's life in a heartbeat. But-. Ali has ties to the Irish mafia," she blurted out loud.

"What," Jax asked raising his eyebrows.

"It's a family thing. But you need to talk to her about it. If anything happens to Ali here, with this shit storm with Eric."

Jax lost her at "if anything happens to Ali". How the fuck was he supposed to tell her about the hit list and the letter now. He did not need her worrying over her sister. And that's how they thought of each other. Ali and Kat need to be sat at the table and they needed to tell everything they had been up to those four years in Denver.

"And there's one more thing Jax."

"Yeah?"

"Did a rival really kill Donna?"

She watched his face change, stoic. She watched him issue a cold steady breath. And she knew that he knew.

"Why the fuck did Tig kill Donna," she whispered.

"How do you know Tig killed Donna?"

"Maybe because he was in my hospital room confessing while he thought I was asleep."

Jax sighed. He knew this conversation had been a long time coming. And quite frankly he was more comfortable discussing Ali and Happy's sex life and the Irish mafia. But who wouldn't be? How did you tell your girl that the man she thought of as a second father had killed you sister-in-law in a botched attempt to kill your brother. But he sobered up and turned to face Kat. Dishonesty had killed them the last time. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

"ATF set it up so that Opie looked like a rat. Tig thought it was Opie in the van, not Donna. Once it came out that Opie was not in fact a rat-."

"Which you should've known all along. Opie would never betray the club-not our dad and definitely not you. C'mon Jax how could Clay have been so stupid?"

"Look baby. I know. I'm on your side-."

"Really then why didn't you fucking tell me?"

"Truth? I was scared. Scared you would do something rash. Like tell Opie or tell Clay you knew or-."

"I'm not stupid. I tell Ope the truth everything falls apart."

"And Clay, listen baby Clay's dangerous. Please stay away."

"You forget Jax, I've known Clay all my life. I know exactly how dangerous Clay Morrow can be."

She had forgotten about this part of the life. The hard work it took just to stay alive. But then again hard work to make it was all she ever knew, was all she was ever going to know. And she loved the club, had loved the club since she was a kid. And she had always loved Jax. Opie. Her dad. Tig. And she remembered Jax's father JT. He had been a good man. She remembered that much even though she was barely ten years old when he died.

"Let me take care of it."

"And what about that other thing?"

"That other thing? Ali's been a big help-a PhD, who would've thought," he chuckled, "And I promise you I'm going to take care of that too."

"Jax?"

"Yeah baby?"

"Full disclosure. Like always."

"I know," he nodded.


	14. Chapter 14

"Honestly I am so glad you are out of that hospital. Those nurses are some bitches. I mean the looks they gave us and then thinking we didn't see them looking at the boys. I mean seriously," Ali said to Kat while waiting for one of the prospects to hand her a shot of tequila.

"They're all like that. But are you speaking out of some observational psychology perspective or because you and Happy-," Gemma asked, walking up behind Kat with a smile on her face.

"First off there is no me and Happy," she said gesturing between herself and some imaginary figure, "There's a me. Period. Then there's Happy. Period. No and. Besides, I was just making an observation," Ali said popping one hand on her hip.

Kat rolled her eyes. Despite her psychology degree her best friend didn't seem to recognize the signs of her own denial. From what she heard Kat and Happy had been going at it like crazy. She had to say though that she wasn't too surprised. Happy was just Ali's type. Fucked up. But the thing is Kat had a feeling that things were different with Happy. She didn't want to psych him and fix him. Nope. She wanted to understand him. Kat had a felling that to Ali Happy was a puzzle she wanted to solve. Question was, once she figured it out-what then. Ali knocked back the shock like a pro.

Kat scanned the clubhouse, Sons and croweaters out in full force for a Friday night. She sighed, "I was in serious need of a party," and took a shot herself, before throwing her hair back in a ponytail. Dressed in tight jeans, red cowboy boots, and a fitted white reaper shirt, smoky eyes and lightly glossed pouty lips she had a healthy glow about her. Compliment of the six weeks she was forced to sit home and recover.

"Um yeah, who knew six weeks of doing absolutely nothing would turn you into an absolute bitch," Ali joked. She wore her favorite jeans, a distressed pair she had since college, and a plaid button down done up to about the middle to show just a bit of cleavage. She didn't want to look like the croweater who was currently dragging Juice to the corner.

From a game of pool, Happy looked up over at his Prez's and his VP's old ladies tossing back shots with Ali. Maybe his gaze lingered just a bit too long because Tig tapped him with his pool stick.

"So you and the redhead?"

"What about her?"

"Tread carefully brother. You hurt her you'll have to deal with Kat. And believe me when I say that is not a road you want to go down," Tig warned with a chuckle.

"She knows it's just fucking. She'll be heading back to Denver soon anyway."

"Pillow talk Hap," Bobby asked with a smirk, leaning against the pool table with a beer in his hand.

He ignored his brother and lined up the shot, thinking about that day a couple of days ago when Ali had revealed she was more than just Kat's psychologist best friend.

_Ali was standing at the table, behind closed doors, in church. She looked pissed. Tight dark jeans. Biker boots. A long sleeve white top that showed a sliver of the skin of her stomach. She looked formidable. And damn fuckable. Happy felt a shiver at the base of his spine. She was the only bitch who could cause that. The only bitch that triggered that fluttery feeling when he was about to come. He didn't know why. And quite honestly he didn't like it. And most of the time when he didn't like something, something ended up dead. She wasn't looking at him. He shifted in his seat uncomfortable. She had amazing eyes. Big luminescent green ones that had a glaze about them when she was coming. She never closed them when they fucked. She always looked up at him, into his own eyes, like she could see straight past the Unholy Ones patch. _

_She sighed, "Okay you guys want the truth?" She looked over at Happy, noting that he was not looking at her. She reached up and scratched the area where her shoulder met her collarbone. He knew that here were a couple of bite marks there. He smirked at the memory. _

"_Truth. My dad's Mickey Farrell. Uncle's James Farrell. Brother's Kegan Farrell."_

_She watched looks float around the table until Chibs sat up and leaned on the table with his elbows. He sighed before asking what a few individuals around the table already knew, "James Farrell. As in leader of the East Coast Irish mafia?"_

"_That'd be the one," she said, examining her nails as if she didn't care. Happy almost snorted, knowing her she probably didn't care. She was a strange one. Chibs let out a low whistle before raising his head a bit in confusion, "Don't the Farrell brothers have another brother? Back home in Ireland?"_

"_If you mean my uncle Mike. I haven't seen him since I was like twelve. It's hard for members of the IRA to cross the ocean. Well, when I took Kat to Ireland we saw him then but-."_

_Wait a second. Hold the phone. The IRA? Clay moved his toes back before looking over at his step-son, his VP._

"_Let me get this straight. You're uncle's an IRA member and your family runs the Irish mafia. And you neglected that tiny piece of information," The President asked, ice in his blue eyes._

"_Didn't think it was important," she shrugged._

"_Really? How about now," he asked with a smile._

"_Don't get that look. I'm not stupid Clay. I know politics. And I'm not a pawn. I'm here for Kat. My family was none of you guy's business. And trust me I know all about keeping my mouth shut. I'm not going to rat anybody out and start a war. Especially now with Kat all eternally goo-goo eyed for your boy here. You kill Eric. That's fine with me. In fact that's great with me. Bastard deserves it. My uncle Mike supplies you with guns or whatever-I don't care."_

_Clay sent a look around the table. And Ali stepped up away from the wall, recognizing that expression, "Careful Clay. Family looks out for family right? Brothers and uncles let me know what the deal was with SOA. I just didn't show up here in Charming blind. And trust, I'll keep my moth shut. We Irish don't do talkative well."_

_He laughed, "I can see why Gemma likes you," he leaned back in his chair, cigar in his hand, gavel in his other._

"_Just Gemma," Juice asked, smirk on his face. _

_Bobby groaned. Retard. There were some hidden smiles around the table as Happy shifted uncomfortably. Ali and the club's enforcer had been practically chained to Happy's bed for the past week. Seriously, Juice had made a comment saying that he was surprised Ali could even walk. If the sounds coming from Happy's room were any indication she should be way past sore. Ali rolled her eyes, "Whatever. If things are cleared up. I kind of have somewhere to be. If you want to speak to any of the Farrell's-let me know, they're on speed dial."_

Honestly she was more than he expected. She didn't think she knew the life like most of the bitches around her grasping for a Son, she knew the life-courtesy of her family. She was smart-and not just book smart. She read people well, like Clay. And she was a great fuck. If he was in the taking an old lady business, someone like her would probably be top on his list. Suddenly hard in his jeans, he handed his stick to Bobby and approached the bar, ignoring the prospect who forgot he was supposed to be bartending.

His presence seemed to halt conversation between the three women, Kat crossing her arms over her chest and looking between him and her sister. "Gemma," he said with a nod.

"Happy," she replied, biting her cheek trying to hold the laughter that was coming from watching Kat's expression as the killer grabbed Ali's hand and told her to walk with him-and led her to the back, towards his room. Kat at least had the good grace to wait until they turned the corner before tossing back another shot.

"Are you shitting me? He just pulls her out of our conversation to go fuck?"

"See what you've been missing cooked up in the house for six weeks?"

"Seriously Gemma this has been going on for almost two months. Ali's not going to leave me here until Jax puts a bullet in Eric's brain," she groaned.

Gemma reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. They still hadn't found that fucker yet. Ali thought he was biding his time, waiting until some minute when Kat would be alone. Because she hadn't been since she was released from the hospital. And Gemma knew Ali had a point. That's exactly what he was probably doing. But she was hoping he had just gotten tired of playing this game and started to skip town. And that small bit of her was not the rational old lady part-it was the emotional maternal part. She knew Eric's disappearance was weighing on her son's mind. He was on edge-thinking that any moment that son of a bitch could swoop in and take Kat away from his again.

"No worries. I'm going to go talk to Tig."

"What about," Gemma said, the hand on her arm tightening a bit. Kat shrugged it off and titled her head.

"He's been acting funky ever since I left the hospital. See what's kicking with my second father," she smiled. Gemma watched Kat head over to the pool table and pull Tig outside in the night air towards the garage. She looked around the corner where Ali had went off with Happy.

She had known Kat all her life. Had from the moment the girl had been old enough to speak thought of her as her second child, her only daughter. And then once Kat had hit grown into her body she knew her and Jax were going to happen, were maybe just as meant to be as Kat had been proclaiming for years. And then almost two months ago Ali had walked into all their lives and she had just moved on in as if she had always been there. She had to admit that the girl had old lady written all over her. And she brought the Irish with her. The Queen Bee had warmed to her instantly. And since Kat thought of her as her sister it was almost instantaneously that Gemma thought of her as another daughter. But she knew a shit storm when she saw one.

When Gemma had gripped Kat's arm, she knew then that the older woman had known. Known about Tig killing her sister-in-law. Sometimes that was the club. They made mistakes. But you didn't turn your back on family because they made mistakes. That's what she told herself as she watched Tig's face.

"What's this about baby girl?"

"I wasn't asleep."

His expression faltered, for like a millisecond before he coughed, clearing his throat, "Um I don't know-."

"Cut the crap Tig. You know exactly what I'm talking about. When you were confessing to me. I wasn't asleep. I know the truth. And on some twisted level I understand."

"Understand," he asked her, eyes searching her face, grabbing onto her and pulling her towards him almost inappropriately close, "You understand? Then why don't you fucking explain it to me then Kat because I sure as hell don't."

He had tears in his eyes. And she knew it was killing him. The guilt. That he had wronged a brother. Maybe that's why she couldn't turn her back. Because he knew he was wrong. And he was torn up about it. She tried to wrap her arms around him but he shoved her…hard.

"No! Don't you get it Kat! I did it! I killed Donna!"

"What," came a shattered distinctive voice from behind them. Kat spun around and came face to face with her brother.

"Ope-" but before she could finish, he shoved past her and tackled Tig, lifting him up in the air and then slamming him back down on the concrete. She didn't hesitate, ran towards the clubhouse, out of breath, screaming, "Jax! Clay! He's gonna kill him," she didn't explain any further. Just ran back towards the fight.

Tig wasn't even fighting back, just letting Opie…kill him. "Opie stop! Stop," she yelled jumping in front of her brother who presently had Tig by his shirt, his fist raised above his face. And Tig was just lying there, eyes glazed over as if he wasn't even there. Opie looked up at his sister and dropped his brother down to the ground, eyes narrowing, "You knew! You fucking knew and you didn't tell me," he shouted. She was crying now, hands shaking. In all her life, the only time she had ever seen Opie so mad was when he had dragged Daniel Baker out of his car after finding them parked up at the streams when she was sixteen and trying to piss Jax off for promising to keep his hands off of her.

"I know! I'm sorry! I just…I didn't know what to do," she shouted back, words distorted by her sobs.

"You could've told me you selfish bitch," he yelled, advancing towards her but Jax stepped in.

"Ope, it's your sister," he said but there was also a warning tone underneath it that read _And she's my old lady. _At Jax's words, Opie stepped back and sucker punched his best friend before shoving past the crowd and heading towards his bike. Jax spun towards Kat, taking her in his embrace.

"Are you okay," he whispered.

"No."


	15. Chapter 15

"Are you okay," he whispered to her, holding her tight as a shake registered through her entire body.

"No," she whispered back, tears muffling the sound.

He closed his eyes against her hair. Ashamed. Guilty. Angry. Regretful. A part of him had hoped that it would never come to this. But a part of him knew that it always would. And right now seeing Kat in his arms hurt, again, only served to intensify every emotion he was feeling at the moment.

"Jax," Clay called.

Kat could feel him tense against her body. And she bit her tongue to hold back more tears, took a deep breath to end her sniffling and the trembling before moving back out of Jax's embrace to go into old lady mode.

"What," Jax answered, tone challenging, daring.

She grabbed his cut, so that he had to turn his head to look down at her. Her eyes were still watery and the expression on her face said _Don't_. She knew where this was going. Knew he had been on edge because they couldn't find Eric. And he was carrying around the guilt surrounding Donna. Then their was their emotional rollercoaster of a reunion. Abel. There was a lot going on his mind. And then he had to go and find his father's book. And Clay had to make one bad decision. And suddenly all hell had broken loose between him and his step-father. When she had talked to him about his differences with Clay she had kissed him and begged him not to do anything stupid. Challenging Clay right now would be stupid.

"Get Kat together and come to the table. We need to talk."

"Talk about what? About how you fucked up everything with this ATF situation? Now Donna's dead, Tig wants to die, and Opie's-."

"Hey, you challenging my judgment?"

"Someone's got to fucking do it," he said, spinning out of Kat's hold to face Clay. She recognized that stance. Fighting stance. And so did Gemma, if her reaction from behind Clay was any indication.

Kat jumped in between the two and placed her hands on Jax's chest, giving him a slight push, before saying-loud enough for his ears only, "Baby, now is not the time." Taking his hand she had to but almost drag him away from his brothers. Gemma watched Kat drag her son towards his bike and instruct him to take her home. She sent up a silent prayer to God, thanking Him for giving at least one of them some sense.

Bobby and Chibs carried Tig back in and laid him out on a pool table. Chibs rolled up his sleeves and Bobby headed to find the first aid kit, taking a deep breath when he knew he had to past Happy's room. He had watched Happy drag Missy Red back to his dorm, like a few other people in this establishment-mainly croweaters who were spitting bullets at the sight. When he heard a sensual, female _Oh My God _from behind Happy's door. He wasn't too surprised that they had missed all the commotion.

"Kat-."

"I don't want to talk about it Jax," she told him, kicking off her boots and sitting down on the couch as he closed the front door behind her. Thank God Neeta had Abel for tonight.

"Tough shit, we're going to talk about it," he said, raising his voice a bit as he approached her tired figure on the couch, "You went and told Tig you knew?"

"I didn't say I wasn't-."

"But you did said you weren't going to tell anybody you knew. Do you realize what you did?"

"What I did," she asked him, jumping up from the couch, "Are you shitting me? Tig confessed to me! How the hell was I supposed to know Opie came outside to find me?"

"You do know what's going to happen now right? Your brother is going to-."

"What? Leave the club? He can't leave the club! Donna's dead. We're the only family he's got! And besides you shouldn't be worried about me. You should be worried about yourself, challenging Clay like that?"

"You don't understand-."

"I don't understand? Really Jax-."

"You weren't here," he yelled, knocking a lamp off a small table.

She was quiet for a minute, mouth agape, eyes big and round as she stared at him. He stared back before sighing and uttering a small curse, "Look Kitten-." She interrupted him with a hard shove, followed by another, "I can't believe you fucking said that to me." Shoving past him she made her way towards the hallway, stopping when he grabbed her by her wrist. She fought back, hitting, shoving until he grabbed her by her arms and yanked her body towards him.

"Stop."

She raised her knee, to send it into his balls, but he moved aside at the last minute, "No. I remember that," he told her with a smirk. And she couldn't help but reply with a smirk on her own. Taking his chance, he leaned down and kissed her. Hard. Heated. Abrupt. When he pulled away she had that smile on her face. That mischievous, vixen of a smile. He remembered the first time he saw her smile like that at him. She had been seventeen. She had surprised him at work, in denim cutoffs and a strappy blue tank top, he had automatically rolled from underneath the car at her innocent question of "Anything I can help you with?" As if he could tell her he needed help with the massive hard on he had at the sigh of her ass in those shorts with her brother only a few feet away from them. All professionally he has sobered himself with a cough, clearing his throat and told her she could hand him the wrench in the toolbox on the ground next to him. She had got down on her hands and knees, ass eye-level, and plucked the wrench out of the box, turning her head over her shoulder and handing it to him with that same mischievous vixen of a smile.

At the memory, he yanked her to him and kissed her again this time slamming her body into the opposite wall. She was always an active participant. He loved that about her, never shy or nervous or passive. She tore his cut off and tossed it to the other end of the hallway, breaking the kiss momentarily for both of them to take their tops off. His tongue left her mouth and went down her neck, laving at that spot where the flesh dipped into her collarbone. She arched against him, a whimper escaping her and he smiled against her flesh.

"Jax, as much as I love your tongue. And believe me when I say I fucking love your tongue. I'm way too mad at you to wait. My pussy's practically sobbing so just unzip your jeans and fuck me."

If it was possible for him to get any harder, it happened. He undid his belt, smiling at the way she attacked her own jeans. When he got the tip of his cock lined up, he laughed, a deep sensual laugh.

"What?"

"Yeah baby. Your pussy's sobbing. Sometimes I forget how much you love to fight," he told her before entering in one quick shove.

"Yeah. You know me. A good fight always gets me horny."

The sunlight crept in through the window and Ali brought an arm up to hide her face from the brightness. As she turned onto her back she heard a groan from the other side of the bed. Happy. She felt her body tingle at the sight on him. All sinewy muscle with tattooed golden skin on top. He bit her shoulder and she chuckled, "Good morning to you too. How long have you been awake?"

"A while."

She rolled her eyes. She hoped he wasn't awake for that brief moment of rest last night when she had sent Kat a text, telling her she needed to meet her breakfast this morning. She bit her lip. The news she had…well she wasn't exactly sure it would be welcome.

"Well I'm meeting Kat for breakfast so I got to bolt."

He nodded, releasing her body from the arm that was holding tight around her waist. As she was redressing she caught him looking at her and smiled, shaking her head. But when she closed the door the smile faded. And she knew, knew she had to head back to Denver.

Back in her hotel room, underneath the warm spray of the shower, she knew. Knew she should've listened to Kat. Things were changing about herself-besides the obvious. Her hair was growing out. And she wasn't trying to leave Charming with a slew of hearts in her wake. Ali had a feeling, the only heart broken was going to be limping back to Denver. Her hand caressed her lower abdomen. And if she couldn't do this. Her broken heart was going to be limping back carrying a plus one.

Walking into a small diner on the corner of 6th street, she wasn't exactly sure how this had happened. Well that wasn't true. She knew exactly how this had happened. She thought back to that first night with Happy. A night where they had both been sloppy and drunk. It wasn't until the next day, when she had woken up in Happy's bed, that she had seen the condom package he had taken out of the drawer had not been open. She had never, never been that drunk. Had always been a safety girl. And now this. She hadn't told anybody. When her period had been one day late, she went into panic mode. She was always regular. Always knew when it was coming. And if didn't come, it wasn't because of some sort of delayed hormonal shit. So when she took that test almost two weeks ago, she wasn't exactly surprised.

Plopping down in front of Kat she blurted, "I need you to go to the hospital with me."

"Um," Kat asked, shooing away the waitress with a flick of her hand, "What?"

"I have an appointment with a gynecologist today at ten."

"Um Ali, you're a big girl. You've been going to the gyno without someone to hold your hand for a while now."

"I'm," she took a deep breath. She can't believe she was telling Kat this. Kat who's baby had died unexpectedly, "going to get an abortion."

After being so close they called each other sisters, that her brother Logan called them Ali-Kat, that they were an extension of each other, Ali had to say she honestly did see that slap coming. It was a resounding crack that echoed across the diner. However, Kat jumping up and leaving she didn't expect. Following her best friend out the door Ali screamed for Kat to wait. Kat turned around to face her, teary eyed.

"Kat, please! I know-."

"You know what? You don't know shit Ali. I can't believe you would ask me, me of all people-."

"Happy's no Jax Kat," she screamed back.

And Kat saw. Saw Ali on a street corner crying, spouting truth. She was right. Happy was no Jax. He wasn't father material. And Ali, well she was Ali. Growing up with a father in and out of prison and emotionally unavailable she would never, ever extend the same courtesy to her own kid. And not letting her kid know its father, for Ali was just out of the question. And giving it up for adoption, her father, her uncle, her brother would have that kid within a heartbeat. She sighed. Seeing Ali cry was rough. They were both two strong bitches. But she knew, knew that when Ali had come to town and struck up whatever the fuck she had with Happy that shit was going to hit the fan.

"Okay. Alright, I'll go with you."

She took Ali's hand and led her to the passenger seat of her car. Cranking up the engine before making a slight U-turn to head to St. Thomas. She sighed. They were quiet, the muted sounds of Quiet Riot echoing through out the car before she silenced them. Parked in front of the entrance to St. Thomas, Kat turned to her best friend and asked the most basic question.

"Ali, you sure about this?"

"No," Ali groaned before trying to open the door. Kat grabbed her arms and tugged her back.

"What do you mean no? You can't do this and not be absolutely positively sure."

"Happy Kat. Happy? If I tell him I'm pregnant you know what's going to happen? Absolutely nothing. That's what's going to happen."

"Fuck Happy. Forget about him. Do you want this baby," she asked, "Because once you do this. There are no take backs. Do you want this baby?"

Neither was sure how long they set there. It could've been five seconds or fifteen minutes. Ali crying, feeling just a little bit entitled to a pity party before she wiped the tears from her face and put her hands on her stomach, cradling her lower abdomen. Voice cracking with emotion, she whispered "Take me home." The ride back to Kat's house was even quieter.

**A/N: I have no political stance on abortion. Just for the purposes of Ali's story (which follows We Are Everything We Need and will be aptly entitled Follow Through) she needs to be pregnant.**


	16. Chapter 16

"What are you going to do," Kat asked her best friend as she parked her car in her driveway.

"Looks like I'm having a baby."

"You going to tell Happy?"

"Not if I have to," she said a little bit harsh than Kat thought she intended before jerking the passenger door opened and making her way up the driveway. Kat sighed. She had to tell Happy. The man had a right to know.

"Ya' know you could stay here," she shouted towards Ali who was currently waiting at the door, "you could set up shop right here in Charming. Take a job at St. Thomas. Or go into business yourself. Besides, its not like I'm going to let you can take my godchild back to Denver," she joked. Ali smiled, a pathetic excuse for one but it was still a smile.

"I don't know if I can do this without you."

"What about your mom?"

Kat winced as the question came out. Ali's mom was a sore subject having left their father when she was sixteen. She heard from her on birthdays. Saw her on holidays. But they weren't particularly close. She reminded her of Gemma in that sense. If Ali was going to raise a baby, especially Happy's baby she was going to need all the support any and everybody could muster.

"What about her Kat," was her nonchalant reply. That answered that question.

"C'mon. I'll fix you something to eat," she said pulling her best friend into the house. Ali slouched her way to the kitchen, taking a seat by the counter. She whipped out her phone and sent a quick to Gemma. _Ali. Emergency. At home. _She had a feeling that Gemma was going to be the only one around to knock some sense into her sister.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Finally that bitch was alone. Well, technically not but he really didn't count Ali she wasn't good for anything except theoretical explanation. No bikers. No old lady biker whores. Just Kat. He smiled. And she left him for that. For some sons of bitches who weren't even smart enough to find him. Sure they had gotten close a couple of times. And the hit list had been a tactical move. Take out Kat. Then take out everyone else in one fell swoop. Once he killed the princess they would crumble-especially Jax. What a weak fucker, Kat practically owned him. Watching Kat and Ali enter the house, he took a deep breath and made sure the gun he had was carefully concealed before getting out the car, looking both ways across the street. Broad daylight on a weekday. Nobody in the neighborhood was home. Jogging across the street, he smiled, and knocked on the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"C'mon Kat, stay here in Charming. For what exactly?"

There was a knock at the door. Eager to get away from this conversation, Ali leapt up and made her way to the door. Thinking of what she was going to do, what was going to be her plan once she got back to dinner, how to deal with the attachment to Happy she really couldn't deny anymore, she forgot to check and see who it was.

"Hi Alison," he smiled, pointing a gun right at her abdomen, "Invite me in."

She took a deep breath, shocked, fear going up her spine. In all of her life, despite her family's business, she had never not once had a gun pulled on her. Everyone had made sure that it never happened.

"Ali who is it," she heard Kat calling from the kitchen, hearing the chair scratch across the floor as she stood up to come check out whoever was holding Ali up. Ali watched Eric's smile fade. And she knew he was daring her. But this was Kat. Her sister. And then her baby. She had no doubt once Eric got into this house he was going to kill her and then kill Kat. So she did the best thing she could do. She screamed Eric's name, alerting Kat to the intruder. At the sound Eric burst through the door and grabbed her by her neck, chucking her to the floor and slammed the door behind him, gun pointed at her knee and fired shouting, "Bitch!"

Ali grabbed her knee and tugged it up to her chest, groaning on the floor. That fucker actually shot her. Shot her. She had to get to her bag. The bag that carried the gun she had picked up as soon as she arrived here. Her brother Logan told her to always be safe. She couldn't believe she hadn't checked who was at the door before she opened it. She mentally slapped herself, hearing Kat and Eric scuffle in the kitchen unable to get to the them. Then there were two more shots. Ali's breath hitched for a moment until she heard Kat gasping. She blew out a breath of relief. She just hoped that Kat had grabbed her phone off the kitchen table and sent a frantic text or something. Because if somebody didn't get here in the next ten minutes, they were going to be dead.

"You stupid bitch! I told you this would happen," he yelled to Kat, dragging her back to the living room by her hair, tossing her next to Ali, gunshot to her shoulder and her knee. Effectively immobilizing her and preventing her from putting up any kind of a fight. The veins in his neck were prominent, throbbing, his face was red, spittle was flying from his mouth. He looked like a rabid dog. He gave Kat a few swift kicks to the stomach, injuring her recently healed ribs again, "You'd leave me! For that piece of shit! I'm going to kill Ali Kat. Then Jax. And then everybody else you love. Fuck, maybe I'll even put a bullet in the head of that fucking rat bastard's kid! Another kid's about to die on your watch baby!"

"You piece of shit," Ali yelled, "if you kill us you'd better put a bullet in your own head," she warned, fiery redhead temper returning. He shot her. That bastard had actually shot her! He had no idea who the fuck he was dealing with. The Farrell family and SOA was going to rain down on him with fucking bullets. He'd be lucky to see tomorrow.

"Shut the fuck up Alison! You think you're so smart. You're nothing but a dumb whore like this one! Two peas in a pod, opening your legs up for anything with a dick!"

"Ali," Kat whispered, reaching for her, silently warning her to not to taunt him. Not the man with the gun.

"Get away from her," he yelled at Kat, sending a rough blow to her ribs, effectively pushing her away from her best friend, "I want you to watch Kat! This is all your fault! You could've prevented this," he yelled, moving to unzip his jeans when he walked towards Ali. Kat tried to stand up but fell back to the ground as she felt a sharp bone poke something on her inside, a sharp gasp. Another rib was broken. Trying to get to Ali, she paused when Eric turned the gun over her, hovering over Ali's body.

"You don't want to do this Eric. Besides it's not even Ali you want. You want me. I'm the one who left. Just let Ali go. And I promise. I promise I won't fight you," she begged him, ignoring the look Ali gave her.

Ali looked between her best friend and her would-be rapist before making a final decision. _Fuck this shit_. Adrenaline on high, she lifted her good leg and rammed her knee right into Eric's balls. Starting to frantically crawl towards her bag in the seat not ten feet away from her. Something grabbed onto her leg, trying to pull her back. Kat unable to move, without fear of puncturing her own lung, watched the struggle, praying to God Ali got to her bag first. Grabbing Ali by the tips of her hair, he pulled her up, forcing her to stand on her bad leg and hit her across the face with the barrel of his gun. Kat watched, silently praying, as the blow sent Ali back a step but not before she slyly pulled the gun from her oversized Dolce and Gabana bag on the chair. Eric went to kick her in her abdomen but she turned swiftly before he could so that the kick landed in her bag. When he lifted his gun arm to send a bullet into her head, Ali turned over and shot three times without pause.

Just then the door burst open. Jax. Clay. Tig. Happy. Chibs. Opie. Guns blazing. Kat watched blurry eyed as Ali screamed, crying, sobbing. Happy went to her. Jax stepped on Eric's body on his way to her.

"Don't touch me. One of my rib's broken. It's pressing on my lung."

He was shaking, hands skimming over her flesh innocently, "Baby, I-."

"Just call me a fucking ambulance."

In the corner, Happy was down on his haunches, whispering to Ali before carefully extracting the gun from her hands. She latched onto his cut, gasping for air.

"You did good Ali."

She replied but he couldn't hear it behind all the crying and the muffled sounds of his leather, "What'd you say?"

"I cannot believe that fucker shot me," she yelled.

Happy smirked and kissed her forehead, "You did good baby girl."


	17. epilogue

EPILOGUE

Jax Teller's girlfriend and her best friend had been almost killed in her own home by some psychopath with a gun. Opie Winston was a convicted felon involved with a motorcycle club that was really nothing more than a gang. And now her sister. Dead. She had warned Donna. Warned her all those years ago not to be deceived by the charm of a scruffy bad boy on a Harley. And she hadn't listened. She should've pushed harder when Donna was alive. But now she had to make up to her. Do right by her niece and nephew. Picking up her office phone Rebecca called a number she had written down weeks ago on a post-it note now stuck to her desk.

"Yes I need to speak with Kyle Mercer. It's about a custody situation."


	18. NOTE

**So this one is completed. We Are Everything We Need is next. Followed by Happy's story with Ali Follow Through. Are you just as excited as I am? Heads up, We Are Everything We Need is a tad darker than Kat's story. Also following Happy's story there will be one for the following characters:**

**Juice**

**Tig**

**Chibs**

**Kozik**

**Some will be lighter. Some will be darker. Some will be extremely emotional. Let's just see how it plays out shall we?**

**XOXO**


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